How Safe and Effective Is Your Sunscreen?

One out of three may not offer the right protection, study suggests

It may be easier than ever to findsunscreen with all the right stuff, but be sure to read the label or you could still get burned.

Most sunscreens sold at major U.S. retailers and their websites now offer broad-spectrum protection, are water-resistant and have an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or higher as the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends, a new study found.

But more than a third of sunscreens sold by several of the nation's largest retailers fell short. Forty-one percent of sunscreens did not meet all three recommendations, researchers from the University of Miami and University of Michigan reported.

Tanning and bronzing products, in particular, tended to be lacking, the researchers said.

In a follow-up to a 2014 study, the researchers checked more than 470 sunscreens available at big pharmacy websites to see if they met the AAD guidelines.

"Even in just three years, we've seen pretty impressive improvement," said Dr. Matilda Nicholas, a board-certified dermatologist at Duke Health in Durham, N.C. "But I think there's still confusion, based on what my patients ask me."

The study found: