Sunscreens are essential for skin care day in and day out, 365 days a year. If applied correctly (meaning liberally and reapplied as often as needed), they are the best anti-wrinkle product you can use. In order to earn a spot on the Best Products list, a sunscreen, whether for adults or kids, must:

• Provide broad-spectrum sun protection and be rated SPF 15 or greater
• Protect skin from UVA damage with one or more of the right active ingredients
• Help fight sun damage while strengthening skin with antioxidants and repairing ingredients
• If labeled as such, contain ingredients that make it water-resistant
• Contain minimal to no fragrance 

Many, if not most, of the changes that take place on our skin over the years, such as wrinkles, skin discolorations, loss of elasticity, texture problems, and dryness, are the result of sun damage from exposure to the sun without appropriate or adequate sun protection.

In addition to keeping your skin looking younger, a good sunscreen can also potentially help prevent some forms of skin cancer. Sunscreen is an absolute must if you have already been treated for any type of skin cancer (or have a family history of it).

If you are not using a sunscreen of some kind (lotion, cream, gel, serum, or foundation with sunscreen) with SPF 15 or greater and that contains the UVA-protecting ingredients of avobenzone, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, Mexoryl SX, or, outside the United States, Tinosorb, then you are doing nothing of lasting value for the long-term health of your skin.

It is of vital importance to the health of your (and your children's) skin to include a well-formulated sunscreen in your daily skin-care routine. And it must be applied to all areas of exposed skin, and reapplied as necessary to maintain protection. Today's sunscreens offer ingenious formulas that feel elegant, apply easily, and provide truly outstanding protection while treating your skin to lots of other beneficial ingredients.

Looking for the best water-resistant sunscreens? These are grouped in a separate Best Products list.