Reef-Safe & Ingredients
How to read a sunscreen label
One box on the back is regulated. Everything on the front is marketing. Here is how to tell them apart.
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Turn the bottle over and find the box headed Drug Facts. Its first section, Active Ingredients, lists every UV filter and its percentage — that box is the only part of the label with regulatory force behind it. Broad spectrum and water resistance are the only two other regulated claims. Everything on the front of the bottle is marketing.
Learn to read one box and the entire category becomes legible. Here it is, line by line.
1. Active Ingredients
Each UV filter with its concentration by weight. This tells you the filter type, whether it satisfies reef restrictions, and roughly how heavy it will feel.
| Filter | Type | Covers | Restricted anywhere? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc oxide | Mineral | UVB, UVA I and II | No |
| Titanium dioxide | Mineral | UVB, short UVA | No |
| Avobenzone | Chemical | Long UVA | No |
| Octocrylene | Chemical | UVB, short UVA | Yes — USVI, Palau |
| Homosalate | Chemical | UVB | No |
| Octisalate | Chemical | UVB | No |
| Octinoxate | Chemical | UVB | Yes — widely |
| Oxybenzone | Chemical | UVB, short UVA | Yes — widely |
Note the alternative names: oxybenzone is benzophenone-3 or BP-3; octinoxate is octyl methoxycinnamate or ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate; avobenzone is butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane. Oxybenzone versus avobenzone covers the two most confused.
2. Uses
Short and formulaic. The line that matters is whether it says the product helps prevent sunburn only, or whether it also references decreasing the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. The second version is permitted only for broad-spectrum products at SPF 15 or higher. A product limited to the first version is telling you it is not broad spectrum.
3. Warnings
Standard boilerplate, with one exception worth reading. A non-broad-spectrum product, or one below SPF 15, must carry the Skin Cancer / Skin Aging Alert: it states that the product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early skin aging. If you see that alert, put the bottle back.
4. Directions
Where the water-resistance claim lives, and US labels may only claim 40 minutes or 80 minutes. Waterproof and sweatproof were banned outright in 2012 as misleading. It also states the reapplication interval — every two hours, and after swimming or toweling off. Water-resistant sunscreen explained.
5. Inactive Ingredients
Everything else, in descending order of concentration. This is where most reactions come from — fragrance, essential oils and botanical extracts, well ahead of the filters themselves. If your skin is reactive, this list matters more to you than the actives panel does. Best sunscreen for sensitive skin.
What the front of the bottle is worth
| Claim | Regulated? | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| SPF number | Yes | Tested sunburn protection at 2 mg/cm² of skin |
| Broad spectrum | Yes | Passed the FDA UVA test. What it means |
| Water resistant 40 / 80 minutes | Yes | Tested immersion time — those two options only |
| Waterproof, sweatproof, sunblock | Banned since 2012 | Should not appear at all |
| Reef safe / reef friendly | No | Nothing. Full detail |
| Natural, clean, chemical-free | No | Nothing. Full detail |
| Non-nano | No | A real particle-size description, unregulated and unverified |
| Non-comedogenic | No | No standard; no guarantee for acne-prone skin |
| Pediatrician / dermatologist tested | No | No defined protocol behind either phrase |
| Hypoallergenic | No | No standard whatsoever |
The thirty-second version
- Does it say broad spectrum? If not, put it back.
- Is it SPF 30 or higher? That is the recommended floor.
- Does it claim water resistance (40 or 80 minutes)? Required if you will swim or sweat.
- What is in Active Ingredients? Mineral or chemical, and does it satisfy any restrictions where you are going?
- Any fragrance in the inactive list? Relevant if your skin is reactive.
- Is there an expiration date? If not, assume three years from purchase. Does sunscreen expire.
Sources
- Questions and Answers: FDA Requirements for Over-the-Counter Sunscreen Products — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun — U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Sunscreen FAQs — American Academy of Dermatology
- Sunscreen — Skin Cancer Foundation
- Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use (proposed rule) — Federal Register / FDA
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for on a sunscreen label?
Broad spectrum, SPF 30 or higher, and a water-resistance claim if you will swim or sweat. Then check the Active Ingredients box for filter type, and the inactive list for fragrance if your skin is reactive.
Where are the active ingredients on a sunscreen bottle?
In the Drug Facts panel, usually on the back or side. Active Ingredients is the first section, listing each UV filter with its percentage by weight. It is the only part of the label with regulatory force behind it.
What sunscreen claims are regulated?
SPF, broad spectrum and water resistance (40 or 80 minutes only). Waterproof, sweatproof and sunblock have been banned since 2012. Reef safe, natural, clean, non-nano, non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic are all unregulated.
What does the skin cancer alert on sunscreen mean?
It appears on products that are not broad spectrum or are below SPF 15, and states the product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn — not skin cancer or early skin aging. It is a signal to choose a different product.
Read next
Mineral Sunscreen
What broad spectrum means on a sunscreen label
The regulated FDA claim behind the phrase, why SPF alone is not enough, and what UVA actually does.
Reef-Safe & Ingredients
What reef-safe sunscreen actually means
The unregulated claim, and the ingredient rules that actually matter — checkable in ten seconds.
Mineral Sunscreen
What natural sunscreen actually means
Why natural, clean and chemical-free mean nothing legally, and the one part of the label that does.
Reef-Safe & Ingredients
Oxybenzone vs avobenzone
What each chemical filter does, why only one is restricted, and what that means for your bottle.
Sun Safety
What water-resistant sunscreen actually means
What the 40 and 80-minute claims measure, why toweling ends them, and how to plan a pool day around it.
Reef-Safe & Ingredients
The best sunscreen for sensitive skin
Fragrance-free mineral formulas for reactive skin, chosen on the inactive ingredients.