Sunscreen savvy: protect your skin with a little help from nature. Look for these ingredients in a natural sunscreen.(analysis of sunscreen agents)

When shopping for sunscreen, the big bold number on the package usually dictates what goes into the cart. Yes, the sun protection factor (SPF) is important, but so are other ingredients. Savvy natural products manufacturers add a bevy of antioxidants to conventional sunscreen agents such as titanium dioxide and oxybenzone. Research shows that by adding antioxidants to sunscreens, you can get protection from both UVA and UVB rays and quell free-radical damage too.

When exposed to the sun, your skin cells produce free radicals--unstable molecules that steal electrons from other molecules and damage cell structures. In fact, they tend to be the main culprits behind aging and cancer. But antioxidants (think vitamins A, C and E and botanicals like green tea and ginkgo) can come to the rescue by donating electrons to flee-radical molecules so they leave healthy cells alone.

So the next time you're buying sun protection, choose the appropriate SPF; then look to make sure it contains one or more of the skin-saving antioxidants listed in the chart below.

JASON SUNBRELLAS NATURAL SUN CARE COMPLETE SUNBLOCK SPF 26 helps fight free-radical damage and is paraben-free.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

CALIFORNIA BABY SUNSCREEN SPF 30+ is a gentle formula with green tea and vitamin E.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]