Mineral sunscreen: reading the Drug Facts label and cost per application

Reading the Drug Facts label

• Active ingredients: the label lists them. Products often called mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both as the active ingredients. Chemical sunscreens list other active ingredients.
• SPF and broad spectrum: the label may show an SPF number and the words broad spectrum. These are label terms with their own rules. We do not say what any product does for you.
• Water resistance: if a product makes a water resistance statement, the label says for how long. Read the directions.
• Directions: the label says how much to apply, when, and when to reapply. Follow them.
• Warnings: read them, including those for children and for use near the eyes.
• Expiration date: check it, and do not use a product past it.

Reading other claims

• Reef safe and ocean friendly: these are not terms defined by the FDA. Some places have rules about specific ingredients, and a label may refer to them. Read what the claim actually says.
• Natural: has no single definition for sunscreen. Read the active and inactive ingredient lists.
• Fragrance-free: check the inactive ingredient list if you are sensitive to fragrance.
• Tinted: has added color, which some people prefer for a less white look.
• Spray, lotion or stick: the label gives different directions for each form, including cautions for sprays. Read them.

Our angle: cost per application

The directions tell you how much to apply, and the amount is larger than many people expect, so a bottle runs out sooner than its size suggests. A cheap bottle that you apply too thinly is not a bargain. Estimate your cost per application: look at the amount the directions call for, work out how many applications a bottle gives you, and divide the price by that number. Then compare forms, since sticks, lotions and sprays differ in how much they give per use.

1. Find the fluid ounces or ounces on the bottle.
2. Use the amount in the directions to estimate how many applications it gives you.
3. Divide the price by the number of applications.

Buying tips

• Check the date and storage directions on the label.
• Buy a smaller size to test a new product, especially for children.
• A bigger bottle only helps if you will use it before it expires.
• Compare multipacks on cost per application.