The topic of sunscreens in cleansers is a unique discussion. If a cleanser has active sunscreen ingredients, that means it needs to remain on the skin after you are done washing and rinsing in the shower or bath. Assuming the product includes UVA-protecting ingredients, is applying sunscreen as simple and convenient as washing your face or body? The answer is yes. Any product labeled with an SPF is regulated by the FDA and has to meet the testing standards for all SPF products, which these specialized cleansers do. But in terms of practical use they have some significant caveats and concerns you need to consider.
What remains unclear, beyond what it takes for a product to get approved for an SPF rating, is what happens during its actual use. For example, even using a typical SPF has limitations if you don’t apply it liberally, or if you apply other products over it that dilute its potency. Both these conditions would be especially true of cleansers with sunscreen. What happens when additional skin-care products are applied over these sunscreen actives after you get out of the shower? Does the sunscreen diminish if you apply an exfoliant, moisturizer, and/or makeup on top of the actives adhering to your skin? Or what happens if you vigorously dry your skin with a towel? There is a strong possibility that you would indeed be reducing the SPF protection. The sunscreen chemist I spoke with concerning this issue told me that simply manipulating sunscreen ingredients so they adhere to skin doesn’t mean they’re impervious to being rubbed off once other products are applied afterward, or with a towel when you get out of the shower. Because of these potential unanswered limitations, I cautiously recommend that you not rely only on a cleanser with sunscreen for your sun protection.