Protecting Skin From Sun Exposure Is Best Way To Prevent Melanoma, Doctors Say

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – "Melanoma Monday" is recognized on May 6 to raise awareness about the deadliest form of skin cancer. Doctors say the best way to prevent skin cancer is guarding against sun exposure.

It's time to break out the sunscreen.

Doctors say it's a good idea to wear it every day, but especially when you're outside enjoying summer activities.

If you've bought sunscreen recently, you know there's a lot to choose from and experts say some are really good, and some aren't.

Before Lindsay Long lets her son have fun in the sun, she makes sure he's protected with sunscreen.

"I just try to reapply it every two hours or as directed on the label just to make sure they stay covered," Long said.

The FDA has proposed a new set of regulations to make sure sunscreen is doing its job.

The agency has identified two critical ingredients.

"The physical sun-blockers, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are the only two physical blockers we have," Dr. Melissa Piliang said. "They tend to be deemed as safer, they don't absorb into the skin, they just sit on top, and those are the ones that they said were generally considered safe."

Consumer Reports has a new list of recommendations of products it tested to find the best protection against UVB rays that cause sunburn, and the UVA rays that cause aging and skin cancer.

This year, French company La Roche-Posay was the top-rated lotion with a perfect score of 100 and a cost of $36 a bottle.

But you can find recommended sunscreens for much less, like Equate that cost $7.

Among sprays, Trader Joe's SPF 50 got the top score and only costs $6 per bottle.

The Coppertone Ultra Guard Lotion got an excellent score of 94, but the company's Water Babies product received a fair rating of 32.

"Every sunscreen has its own formulation and set of active ingredients and that really affects its performance," Consumer Reports' Trisha Calvo said.

Experts say even the best sunscreen is only effective if you use enough.

So how much is enough? A shot glass is what you want to use to cover your whole body and re-apply every couple of hours.

Beyond sunscreen, it's good to wear protective clothing and hats.