Skin care

These Central Park Sunbathers Most Definitely Need More Sunscreen

One photographer documented the skin show on a hot day in Central Park. You'll never go sunscreen-less again

by Lila Glick | 2 COMMENTS

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Deep Tan, Deep Thoughts Sunscreen is the hot topic this week -- with Memorial Day marking the start of summertime revelry, the shocking Consumer Reports sunscreen study, and the hard facts from Melanoma Awareness month. We all know skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S., yet many people still skip the sun protection. A new study (part of Jergens' Report on Melanoma Awareness Month) found that more than a quarter of people who have already had melanoma say they never use sunscreen. And only 17% of adults report always wearing sunscreen. Basically, most of us fail at protecting ourselves from the sun. Case in point: this photographer's brief exposé on sun tanning in New York City.

New York Magazine sent photographer Christopher Anderson to see the "skin on parade" in Central Park one 79-degree day. Some of his pics may be enough to send you right to the dermatologist -- so think of this as your sunscreen-spiration. Don't worry, there's also a cute baby included, so you won't be completely scarred.

Most of us are guilty of the occasional sunburn here and there, but there's no reason not to wear sunscreen (eh hem, we're talking to you, people of the Great Lawn). Even if you're in the office all day, you can wear a tinted moisturizer with SPF, or BB/CC/[insert alphabet here] cream. And with all of the multitasking sunscreen products out there, you really have no excuse to not use sun protection daily.

But enough nagging and back to that Consumer Reports study -- turns out the most effective sunscreens aren't the most expensive. So while you insist on damaging your skin out in the sweltering heat of Central Park or on the beach, at least put one of these cheap sunscreens to avoid the sunburns and sunspots that we're seeing in these photographs.

Believe it or not, the Consumer Reports top six sunscreens are all $11 and under:

UP & UP (Target) Sport SPF 50, $6.94
Equate (Walmart) Ultra Protection SPF 50, $7.50
Coppertone Water Babies Lotion SPF 50, $11
Walgreens Continuous Spray Sport SPF 50, $8
Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch SPF 30, $11
Coppertone Sport High Performance SPF 30, $10

Alright, now you can check out the sunbathers.

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