Beach-goers apply sunscreen to each other at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Marianna Massey/Getty Images hide caption

Marianna Massey/Getty Images

Sunscreen may seem simple: slather it on, stay protected. But the science is more complicated than the label suggests. Why is it so hard to stay safe in the sun?

On The Sunday Story, we dig into the surprisingly high-tech world of sunscreen and the questions swirling around it. Justine Paradis of New Hampshire Public Radio breaks down the new ingredients, dispels SPF myths, and points to updated guidance around sunscreen use and how it relates to skin color.

This episode was produced by Ben Rappaport and edited by Jenny Schmidt. It was fact-checked by Greta Pittenger and the engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Special thanks to Akshay Pulavarty.

We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at TheSundayStory@npr.org.

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