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Sunscreen is mandatory for a person to protect the skin from developing sunburns and skin cancer. Exposure to UVA and UVB rays may initially show up as a tan but could result in severe problem like skin cancers.

In order to protect their skin from sun people should choose the right sunscreen. One should choose a sunscreen that gives broad spectrum protection or protection against both UVA and UVB. A person should also pay attention to SPF values of the sunscreen lotion which can range from as low as 2 to as high as 100. SPF is the value that indicates how many minutes it is safe for a person to remain in sun wearing the lotion.

"I think what a lot of people don't realize is that SPF is really a personal number," she said. "The amount of protection that I get from an SPF 30 is different than what someone else with a different skin type would get," said Dr. Colette Pameijer, a surgical oncologist and associate director of translational research, according to CBS News.

Pameijer noted that people should choose a sunscreen with SPF between 30 and 55. The doctor also noted that it isn't a wise choice to spend more money for anything with SPF more than 55. It is also important to apply right amount of the lotion on the body to get the necessary protection. Since mineral like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide present in the sunscreen make the lotion thicker people may not apply the right amount on the skin.

It is also better to go for sunscreens in lotion form than sprays, as sprays might not be able to be applied evenly and also pose risk of inhalation. Avoid sunscreens containing retinol, retinyl linoleate, retinyl acetate, or retinyl palmitate as vitamin A used in the beauty products for anti-aging purposes may cause cancerous skin lesions on exposure to sunlight.

"The FDA doesn't allow brands to say sunscreens are "waterproof" or "sweatproof," so brands think of creative ways to indicate it. If they use the permitted term of "water-resistant, companies must indicate whether it's for 40 or 80 minutes. Still, it's almost impossible to gauge their accuracy," said Environmental Working Group's senior analyst Sonya Lunder, reported Teen Vogue.