Choosing a sunscreen used to be a numbers game: You'd go for a relatively high SPF (at least 30!) and slather it on. Turns out, there's a lot more to consider to keep your skin safe from the sun and looking young, too. "What you really need to focus on is tailoring the kind of sunscreen to what you're doing outdoors," says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "If you're not choosing your product based on your activity, you put yourself at risk of sunburn and serious skin damage.
Happily, the latest sunscreen options are more of a no-brainer to use than ever. "Scientists have come up with formulations that absorb into skin more easily, last longer and protect you from more than just UV rays," says Marie Jhin, MD, a dermatologist in San Francisco. Health consulted the experts to find the best products and pointers to protect you all day, every ray.