Sunscreens are overrated. To prevent sun damage and skin cancer, just make sure you expose your skin gradually and don't overdo it. The best thing to do is to just develop a tan naturally, while you're out playing sports or hanging out. Try to avoid suntanning between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. although this is probably impossible for physically active individuals. As long as you don't try to look like a lobster, you will eventually develop a nice tan. It will take time. People with very light skin and freckles, however, should probably not try to tan since their skin is more sensitive. The important thing, no matter how light or tanned you are, is to develop healthy habits, such as a good diet and a good skin care program in order to keep your skin healthy. To give your skin a rest while you're out in the sun, you can also wear a hat and protective clothing. I used to use sunscreens, but some of them were more trouble than they were worth. They would generally protect my skin but some of them would make my skin oily or I would have to reapply them. As long as I don't overdo it, my skin can take it without the burden of a sunscreen. Plus I've read that some sunscreen ingredients are estrogenic and, thus, harmful. The European Community has banned six comon ingredients in sunscreens, but they're still used in the US. You can probably do a google search to find out what these ingredients are if you want.