Does Price Influence Sunscreen Use?
A Closer Look at the Data

The cost of sunscreen could be undermining proper usage, according to a recent article examining the situation. Researchers found that the cost of sunscreen is inversely proportional to the amount applied. This means that as the product cost increases, the amount applied decreases. When sunscreen is not applied properly, its ability to protect skin is diminished, which increases the probability of sunburn and, in turn, the risk of melanoma.

The conclusions in this study support those cited by the authors in a previous study showing individuals apply more sunscreen when it is free. That study asked questions to determine why some people might underapply sunscreen. The current study focused on whether the cost of sunscreen impacts the amount applied when individuals purchase their products. Indeed, it does.

The study found that when sunscreen costs approximately $1.00 to $2.00 per ounce, some participants applied more than 150% of the recommended amount. However, when the price per ounce went above $5.00, the number of participants using the recommended amount began to decline substantially. Only one participant applied 100% of the recommended amount above $5.00 per ounce.

Individuals were also more likely to apply sunscreen to their arms, rather than their face and neck. On average, individuals applied ~75% of the recommended amount to their arms and ~50% to their face and neck.

No other variables examined, other than price and site of application, were significant. It did not matter whether the individual was male or female (23% vs 76%), younger or older (21 to 83 years), or whether the SPF was lower or higher (15 to 100 SPF). Price significantly influenced usage.

The active ingredients in the sunscreens were kept similar, too. These included 3% avobenzone, 9% to 10% homosalate, 4.5% to 5% octisalate, and 8% to 10% octocrylene. However, the costs ranged substantially, regardless of the active ingredient or SPF level.

Participants in the study were dermatology patients in California (n=88) using their own sunscreens or those recommended by dermatologists. The sunscreens represented 32 different brands, had a range of costs ($0.60 to $36.40 per ounce), and SPFs (15 to 100). Researchers weighed containers of sunscreen before and after application.

The underapplication of sunscreen is an important question because it leads to sunburns and subsequent increased risk of skin cancer. With rising numbers of individuals diagnosed with skin cancers, it is vital to understand the causes of sunburn and educate to reverse the trend.

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This summary is based on the article by Fernandez K, Schneider J, Moor D et al. “Affordability matters: A cross-sectional study on sunscreen cost and application amount,” published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in January 2025. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2025.01.007