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When I was a teenager in the mid-2000s, my friends and I never used sunscreen. (Gasp, I know, but it was a different time\u2014and my skin damage proves it.) Instead, we coated our bodies in layers of lotions and potions in pursuit of the perfect tan\u2014including, of course, baby oil. Like generations of tanners before us, we were convinced the shiny oil would attract more UV rays for a deeper tan. A few years later, I did<\/em> add some sun protection to my tanning routine\u2026 in the form of Banana Boat SPF 4 Dark Tanning Oil.<\/p>\n As increased education and advocacy for sun safety and responsible SPF usage became more prevalent, tanning oils seemed to fade into the background, relegated to a small space on the lowest big-box store shelf almost like a shameful little indulgence, replaced on the shelf by sporty sunscreen sprays and self-tanners.<\/p>\n So imagine my surprise when, a few years ago, I noticed brands launching oils\u2014but not just any old tanning oils. No, these were rebranded and repackaged as sunscreen<\/em> oils, boasting actual SPF protection and promising to make your skin look magazine-spread gorgeous.<\/p>\n For those of us who are reckoning with our youthful tanning exploits, however, the idea of wearing an oil formula in place of a cream or lotion seems like the antithesis of sun safety. (Anyone who got a blistering burn from baby oil will know what I mean.) I\u2019ve used a few in the past and enjoyed the experience: the novelty of a baby oil-inspired SPF, the delicious smells, the shimmery, shiny glow it imparts on skin. But I was also curious about the kind of sun protection I was really<\/em> getting from an oil\u2014are these just tanning oils in a pretty disguise or can sunscreen oils genuinely compete with a gold-standard lotion?<\/p>\n The answer is, well, yes! With some caveats.<\/p>\n According to Annette Czernik, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Stamford, Connecticut, sunscreen oils can<\/em> protect your skin just as well as a lotion formula\u2014with one very important note: they must contain a real, broad-spectrum SPF of at least<\/em> 30. (Sorry, younger self, that SPF 4 does not cut it, and neither does anything with an SPF 15.) You want to spend some time reading the label before making a purchase; look for \u201cbroad spectrum\u201d front and center, which means a formula will protect skin against both UVA and UVB rays, she says. Though she generally prefers lotions or creams because they\u2019re easier to apply on the skin and show where you may have missed a spot, she says that \u201cthe best sunscreen is the one you’ll wear consistently and reapply as needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Application is also key to ensuring you\u2019re properly protected, Dr. Czernik adds. \u201cSunscreen oil needs to be spread into an even, generous layer over all exposed skin rather than lightly misted or rubbed on sparingly,\u201d she advises. Let it sit for about 15 minutes before sun exposure so it can form a \u201cprotective film\u201d and make sure you\u2019re applying a lot of product. \u201cThe biggest mistake is assuming a thin, shiny layer is enough when it usually isn’t,\u201d Dr. Czernik says. If you\u2019re using a spray oil, rub it in with your hands to make sure your skin is evenly covered, and don\u2019t forget about what Dr. Czernik calls the \u201ceasy-to-miss areas, like the hairline, ears, and tops of the feet.\u201d<\/p>\n Sunscreen oils may also wear off faster than their lotion and spray counterparts, especially if you\u2019re swimming, sweating, or rubbing your skin dry with a towel, Dr. Czernik cautions, so they may need to be reapplied more often than the typically recommended two hours.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I was a teenager in the mid-2000s, my friends and I never used sunscreen. (Gasp, I know, but it was a different time\u2014and my skin damage proves it.) Instead, we coated our bodies in layers of lotions and potions in pursuit of the perfect tan\u2014including, of course, baby oil. Like generations of tanners before […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beauty"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2110","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2110\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sasgai.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What to look for on a sunscreen oil label<\/h2>\n