Sun Safety: Best Sunscreens and 9 to Avoid

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Cjp24
 
It’s national Don’t Fry Day—which at first I thought was some kind of healthy food campaign, but is actually the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention’s way to encourage sun safety awareness by reminding everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors. The EPA has loads of tips, including seeking shade or covering up when the sun’s UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and, of course, slathering on the sunscreen:
 

 
Got it. Less straightforward is choosing a sunscreen. Shelves at supermarkets and pharmacies are lined with dozens of brands of sunscreen. But there are all kinds of questions about whether the labeling and safety guidelines created in 1978 are adequate, as well as concerns about the safety of certain ingredients in the lotions, such as retinyl palmitate, a derivative of vitamin A that may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions.
  
The Environmental Working Group just released its 2011 Sunscreens Guide. Its top-rated products contain either zinc or titanium minerals to help cut UVA exposures. For folks who prefer to avoid such nano-minerals, EWG also recomments non-mineral options (none received the top rating, as they all contain at least one chemical “considered to be a potential hormone disruptor, and many offer only moderate or weak UVA protection”). Finally, the group also identified nine sunscreen products to avoid. All information below is from EWG, which scores products on a scale of one to 10 (0-2 is low hazard; 3-6 is moderate hazard; 7-10 is high hazard).

Click here to find out how your favorite sunscreen scores in the EWG’s Skin Deep database.  Or download the app here.
 
Scroll down for the top-rated products, 11 non-mineral ones, and 9 to avoid.
 
Top-rated Sunscreens (these all scored a ‘1’ from EWG):
 
Aubrey Organics
-Natural Sun Sport Stick Unscented Sunscreen, SPF 30
-Natural Sun Unscented Sensitive Skin/Children Sunscreen, SPF 30+

Aveeno
-Baby Natural Protection Mineral Block Face Stick, SPF 50

babyUV/kidsUV inc.
-kidsUV Natural Sunscreen Pink, SPF 30

Badger
-Sunscreen, Unscented, SPF 30+
-Baby Sunscreen, SPF 30+
-Sunscreen, Lightly Scented Lavender, SPF 30+
-Sunscreen Face Stick, Unscented, SPF 30+

Beyond Coastal
-Natural Clear, SPF 30

California Baby
-No Fragrance Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+
-No Fragrance Sunblock Stick, SPF 30+

Climb On!
-Mineral Sunblock, SPF 30

Coola
-MineralBaby Moisturizer Suncare, Unscented, SPF 45
-Baby Unscented Natural Mineral Sunblock, SPF 45

Doctor T’s Supergoop!
-Quickstick, SPF 30

Eco Skin Care
-Eco Face, SPF 30+
-Eco Baby, SPF 30+
-Eco Body, SPF 30+

Elemental Herbs
-Sunscreen Sport, SPF 20
-Kids Sunscreen, SPF 20
-SUNSTICK Zinc Sunscreen, Unscented, SPF 30
-Sunscreen Sport, Tinted, SPF 22
-SUNSTICK Zinc Sunscreen - Coconut, SPF 30

Esse
-Sunscreen, SPF 25

Glacier Creme
-Glacier Crème Naked Protection, SPF 30+

Goddess Garden
-Baby All Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+

Healing-Scents
-Live Long Sunscreen, SPF 25

Kabana Skin Care
-Green Screen Organic Sunscreen Fragrance Free, SPF 20
-Green Screen Organic Sunscreen, Skin Tone Tinted, SPF 22

Karen’s Botanicals
-Simple Sunblock Lotion, Unscented, SPF 30

Kasia Beautiful Health Skincare
-Good Day Sunshine, SPF 30

KINeSYS
-Sunscreen Ointment with pure Zinc oxide, SPF 30

Kiss My Face
-100% Natural Blue Sun Stick, SPF 30
-100% Natural White Sun Stick, SPF 30
-100% Natural Pink Sun Stick, SPF 30

L'uvalla Certified Organic
Sunscreen Face/Body, SPF 20

Loving Naturals
-Sunscreen, SPF 30+
-Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30+

Marie Veronique Organics
-Kid Safe Screen, SPF 25

Maui Natural Organics
-Maui Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
-Surfer Honey Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30

Mexitan Products
-Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50

Poofy Organics
-“The” Sunscreen, SPF 30

Purple Prairie Botanicals
-SunStuff, SPF 30
-Sun Stick, SPF 30

Raw Elements USA
-Eco Stick, SPF 30+
-Eco Forumula, SPF 30+

Sun Bunnies
-100% All Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30

Suntegrity Skincare
-All Natural Moisturizing Body Protection, SPF 30

The Green Beaver Company
-Green Beaver Company Certified Organic Kids Non-whitening Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30

thinkbaby
-Safe Sunscreen, SPF 30+

thinksport
-Livestrong Sunscreen, SPF 30+

Tropical Sands
-All Natural Sunscreen, SPF 50
-All Natural Face Stick, SPF 30

True Natural Cosmetics
-All Natural Sunscreen, SPF 40

Trukid
-New Sunny Days Mineral All Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
-TruKid Sunny Days Water Resistant Unscented Mineral Face & Body Stick, SPF 35+
-TruKid Sunny Days Water Resistant Unscented mineral Sunscreen, SPF 30+
-TruKid Sunny Days Sport Water Resistant Sunscreen, SPF 30+
-TruKid Sunny Days SPORT Unscented, Water Resistant Stick, SPF 35+

UV Natural
-Sunscreen, SPF 15
-Baby Sunscreen, SPF 30+
-Sunscreen, SPF 30+

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11 Non-Mineral Picks:
 
Australian Gold
-Sheer Coverage Lotion with InvisiDry, SPF 15 (score: 5)

Beyond Coastal
-Active Face Stick, SPF 30 (score: 2)
-Active, SPF 15 (score: 3)
-Active, SPF 30 (score: 3)

Bull Frog
-Ultimate Sheer Protection Body, SPF 30 (score: 5)
-Ultimate Sheer Protection Face, SPF 30 (score: 5)

Coppertone
-Oil-Free Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 15 (score: 5)
-Sport Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 15 (score: 5)

Doctor T’s Supergoop!
-Everyday UV, SPF 30 (score: 3)

La Roche-Posay
-Anthelios 15 Water Resistant Sunscreen Cream (score: 3)

Lubriderm
-Daily Moisture Lotion, SPF 15 (score: 5)

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9 sunscreens EWG says typify what’s wrong with sunscreens:
 
Hawaiian Tropic Baby Stick Sunscreen SPF 50
Why: Contains the hormone disruptor oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate.

Baby Blanket SunBlankie Towelette SPF 45+
Why: If the FDA’s proposed rating system were in force today, it would earn only one of four stars for UVA protection, according to EWG’s analysis. It doesn’t have enough UVA protection to meet European standards.

Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection SPF 55
Why: “Mild as water” claim is misleading.

Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70+
Why: Contains oxybenzone, which seeps through the skin and into the bloodstream and acts like estrogen in the body.

Banana Boat Sport Performance Active Max Protect, SPF 110
Why: The actual UVA protection factor for this Banana Boat sunscreen is as low as 12. Don’t depend on it to shield your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

Elizabeth Arden – Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face, SPF 50
Why: If you read the claims on the label – “helps protect your skin from sun exposure while hydrating for up to 8 hours” – you might think one coat would protect you until long after lunch. Not so.

Rite Aid Kids Sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 45
If the FDA’s proposed UVA rating system taks effect as it is now written, Rite Aid Kids Sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 45 would earn only one of four stars.

Anthony Logistics for Men Sun Stick SPF 15
Why: The box’s directions tell users to “apply to eye area.” But read the fine print. It carries a warning that advises, “keep out of eyes.”

iS SPF 20 Powder Sunscreen & Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 & colorescience Suncanny Face Colore SPF 20
Why: These sunscreens are loose powder, containing particles of zinc and titanium that can offer strong UV protection for the skin but may end up in the lungs. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies inhaled titanium dioxide as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based on studies of rats and of people who work in dusty environments.