How to know what sunscreen you should wear on your face, and what's better for your body, according

• When buying facial sunscreen, find one that is at least SPF 30, broad spectrum, and water resistant.
• Be strict about reapplying every two hours, even if you're just having a day in the office.
• If you have sensitive skin, you might want to use a physical sunscreen over a chemical one.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Buying sunscreen can be an overwhelming process. There are hundreds of lotions, sprays, and powders, ranging from very cheap to highly pricey, and it's difficult to know what you need, and what is just a marketing gimmick. 

But that doesn't mean purchasing skincare isn't a summer necessity.

"Sunscreen protects you from skin cancer as well as sun damage," New York-based dermatologist Debra Jaliman told Insider. "After you wash your face in the morning, you should apply your sunscreen. It is the first step before using moisturizer."

As summer approaches, and people start looking to replenish their supply of sunscreen, here's what you need to know.

If you don't have sensitive skin, you can use the sunscreen you use on your body for your face too

"Certainly if you only have one sunscreen, you can use your body sunscreen on your face," says New York-based dermatologist Marisa Garshick.

"The protective ingredients are typically the same, but sometimes people find that the sunscreens formulated for the body aren't as elegant or easy to rub into the face."

Facial sunscreens are oil free, so they're more gentle

People with sensitive skin may also find that sunscreens formulated for the body are irritating to the skin, and may cause breakouts. "Sunscreens designed for the face are often non-comedogenic (or, oil free), so they're not going to clog the pores. And sometimes they include other additives that make it more gentle on the skin," Garshick said.

For people with sensitive skin, Jaliman recommends avoiding sunscreens that use drying alcohol as an ingredient and turning to a cream-based sunscreen as opposed to an alcohol-based one.

When choosing sunscreen, know the difference between chemical and physical sunscreen types

Chemical sunscreens, which typically contain octinoxate and avobenzone, work by absorbing UV light. The active chemicals in this sunscreen turn UV light into non-harmful rays of heat, which is then released from the skin.  

Physical or mineral sunscreens, which primarily use zinc and titanium as their active ingredients, are recommended for children and people with sensitive skin. They reflect UV rays, serving as a barrier that prevents the rays from getting into the skin. 

Some sunscreens will say physical or mineral blocker on the bottle, but if it doesn't, you can see if your sunscreen is a physical or chemical type by looking at the ingredients.

"I tell my patients that mineral base sunscreens are going to be better tolerated than the chemical based type of sunscreen," dermatologist Kathleen Suozzi, of the Yale School of Medicine, told Insider. She recommends mineral sunscreens to all her patients, to avoid skin irritation. 

Chemical blockers have been controversial in recent years, with some research showing they can have a negative effect on marine life, causing defects in mussels and dolphins. Chemical sunscreens have been banned in Hawaii since 2018. Another 2019 study found that chemicals from sunscreen can get absorbed into the bloodstream at potentially unsafe levels.

But chemical sunscreens are still officially recommended, because at this point researchers don't have enough data to definitively conclude that chemical sunscreens are harmful. 

Physical sunscreen is often pasty white, but there are now tinted versions for darker skintones

People with darker skin have sometimes been told to use chemical sunscreen to avoid the white cast physical sunscreen can give skin.

"Because physical sunscreens reflect light, they have a whitening property on the skin," said Suozzi. "So your traditional zinc-based white sunscreen that is like white paste is not for wearable, particularly for patients with darker skin."

But there are tinted sunscreens out on the market now, which can counter the whitening effect of physical sunscreen, although they have their own issues too. Sunscreen must be applied evenly across the entire face, but people tend to wear tinted sunscreen like makeup, applying lightly.

And remember that chemical sunscreens should be applied 15 minutes prior to going in the sun, as it takes some time to activate, while physical blockers do not need time to activate.

Reapply sunscreen every two hours, even if you're inside

The sun is an area of the body that experiences a lot of cumulative sun exposure and, and damage over time, so it is important to protect the face every single day, even if you're not going to the beach. 

"I always tell my patients that even on a normal routine day, it is important to be reapplying, every day, every two hours, even if somebody is just in the office or going for a walk," said Garshick, adding that it is also important to always reapply after sweating, exercising, or getting wet.

Don't skimp on the sunscreen

When you apply, make sure you're applying enough. There have been studies that show that people generally aren't applying enough sunscreen to get the level of SPF protection the package promises.

For a whole body application, Garshick recommends enough sunscreen to fill a shot glass, and for a facial application she recommends a nickel sized amount.

You don't need sunscreen that's over 30 SPF

"SPF, which stands for sun protective factor, is actually measured by actually applying doses of UV light to the skin and measuring how much redness occurs in the absence or presence of the sunscreen," said Suozzi.

But as SPF gets higher, the benefits do not increase exponentially, because any sunscreen over SPF 30 is blocking close over 95% of UVB rays. A sunscreen with 60 SPF offers a similar amount of protection to a sunscreen with 30 SPF, but sometimes dermatologists will recommend sunscreen with higher SPF as a protective measure because they know people tend to skimp on sunscreen.

"If you find that your sunscreen is too thick or too greasy, avoid the very high levels of SPF," Suozzi recommended. "Try a SPF have closer to the 30 range to see if it increases wearability."

Look for broad spectrum on the package 

"UVA and UVB are both rays that are emitted from the sun," said Garshick. "SPF only protects you from UVB rays. If a sunscreen is providing coverage for UVA as well, it's usually going to be labeled as broad spectrum."

UVB rays can cause sunburn, skin cancer, and redness, but UVA rays also pose a cancer risk, and can cause burning and redness, so it is important to protect against both.

"The bottom line is when buying facial sunscreen, find one that is broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, see if it's water resistant, and if not, plan accordingly," said Garshick. "And always make sure to reapply roughly every two hours."

Read more:

The best facial sunscreens you can buy

12 mistakes you're making that are sabotaging your sunscreen

The best sunscreen in 2020

Watch: Why American sunscreens may not be protecting you as much as European sunscreens

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