Sunscreen in the test: cheap drugstore brands perform particularly well

Created: 05/19/2022Updated: 05/19/2022, 18:45

By: Lena Zschirpe

Sunscreen is indispensable for protection, especially in summer.

But which product is really recommended?

Öko-Test examined several.

Dortmund – Sunscreen is indispensable, especially in summer.

It protects against UV rays and, above all, against unwanted sunburn.

But you should better keep your hands off some lotions from the trade, reports RUHR24.

Öko-Test examined 21 products.

Sunscreen for children and babies in the test: 21 products at Öko-Test

Strictly speaking, this is sunscreen for children.

In principle, adults can also use the lotion.

For people with particularly light or sensitive skin, this is even recommended by Stiftung Warentest, among others.

However, it is better not to use old sunscreen from the previous year.

In contrast to a two-year-old study, the testers from Öko-Test generally see a positive development in children's sunscreens.

A total of nine creams scored “very good” and five “good”.

Öko-Test can therefore now recommend more lotions than in 2020. In addition, no problematic preservatives or highly allergenic or critical fragrances were found in the test.

Different filters in sun creams for children: Critical substances better than sunburn

However, questionable UV filters are found in the tested products.

A sun cream, for example, contains silver chloride, which according to the Öko-Test "has no place in products for children under the age of three".

Also the filter homosalate is used in a lotion.

According to recent data from animal experiments, it can damage the liver, kidneys and thyroid.

The UV filter octocrylene can even have hormonal effects.

But Öko-Test also gives in: According to the current status, a potentially questionable UV filter is still better than sunburn.

Basically, the experts recommend products with other chemical UV filters or the mineral filters titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

Öko-Test examined sunscreen.

© Martin Dziadek/Imago

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However, creams with a mineral filter are often more difficult to apply and smear less easily.

They also leave behind the so-called "whitening effect", which, in addition to white spots on the skin, also has a positive side effect: you can see very well, especially with children, whether parts of the body have accidentally not been creamed (read more test reports at RUHR24).

Sunscreen for children at Öko-Test: This is how it was tested

The products from the current Öko-Test (issue 05/22) are available in drugstores, pharmacies, health food stores and supermarkets.

Three products are certified natural cosmetics.

According to their own statements, however, the testers preferred sunscreen with a very high sun protection factor (SPF) of 50 or 50+ and mainly chose fragrance-free or sensitive products.

These sunscreens for children did particularly well in the 2022 test:

• Alverde Kids Sensitive Sun Balm 50

  
  

  Overall rating : very good

  
  

  Price: 9.27 per liter

• Lavera Kids Sensitive Sun Lotion 50

  
  

  Overall rating: very good

  
  

  Price: 29.98 euros per liter

• Babydream Extra Sensitive Sun Spray 50+

  
  

  Overall rating : very good

  
  

  Price: 6.99 euros per liter

Interesting: With Babydream and Alverde, comparatively inexpensive own brands from drugstores are among the test winners.

Cheap products also performed well in a sunscreen test by Stiftung Warentest.