Sunscreen vs. Umbrella: Putting On Sunscreen Protects Skin Better Than Shade, Study Finds

Umbrellas are there to protect people from the harsh sun when out in the open. It turns out that it does not offer much protection compared to using sunscreen, a new study finds.

The study, which was published in JAMA Dermatology Wednesday, was conducted by researchers from Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. based in New Jersey. The company owns the sunscreen that was involved in the study, the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF100+. The study suggests that an umbrella may not be a good substitute for sunscreen when it comes to skin protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.

To arrive at their findings, scientists recruited 81 participants that had fair skin. They were made to sit in Lake Lewisville, Texas in the midday for three and a half hours. The study was conducted in August 2014.  Some of the participants used SPF 100 sunscreen while some used a standard beach umbrella. The next day, they were checked for the severity of sunburns.

The study found that around 78 percent of the participants who used shade to protect their skin got sunburns compared to 25 percent who used only sunscreen. There were 142 areas of the skin that got burned on 41 umbrella participants and 17 on the sunscreen group.

Although the study showed how sunscreen can be a better skin protector from the harsh rays of the sun compared to an umbrella, it also pointed out that none of the methods used in the study offered 100 percent protection. Lead author Dr. Hao Ou-Yang advised that individuals need to have a "holistic approach" in dealing with skin protection under the sun, Reuters reported.

Ou-Yang also told the publication that this holistic approach should not only include using sunscreen but also wearing a hat, putting on clothes and getting under a shade or using an umbrella.   Even an NYU Langone Medical Center dermatologist Dr. Jennifer Stein said that a person should not stick to only a single method for skin protection from the sun.