

(Important note: Reapply as directed and dermatologists always recommend wearing a sunscreen that offers at least 30+ SPF!)

Translation: You may think you can stay out in the sun for hours without reapplying because you're not seeing a burn yet. The report warns that those 50+ SPF-claiming products may suppress the pain and redness of a developing sunburn but may not necessarily keep blocking the sun's skin-damaging effects. "Sunscreens are really mis-marketed, and as a result, people who depend on them think they are far more powerful than they really are," Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with the environmental advocacy group and lead scientist of the 2017 Sunscreens Guide, told CNN. One big point the report makes is that products claiming an SPF of 50+ promote an exaggerated sense of protection. They say that a good sunscreen should equally block out both of these rays. Retinyl palmitate is a form of Vitamin A that the EWG says could heighten your skin's sun sensitivity.Īs for their findings that many sunscreens don't work as well as they claim, the group's report used a model to estimate how well individual ingredients in sunscreens filter UVA and UVB rays. EWG claims the first is a hormone disruptor, which can cause allergic reactions, and while not conclusive, some studies have linked high amounts of oxybenzone to lower birth rate in girls and other health disorders like endometriosis. Two common sunscreen ingredients the advocacy group is particularly concerned about are oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate. EWG also specifically targeted products marketed for kids by looking for formulas with the words "baby," "kids," "little," "children" and "pediatric" in the product or brand name. For their report, EWG looked at SPF protection, chemical ingredients and overall safety and effectiveness in 880 beach and sport sunscreens, 480 moisturizers and 120 lip products with SPF to compile a list of their best- and worst- rated products. Wait, what? Before you start tossing all your sunscreen, let's catch you up on the details.

This summer's report is making headlines by claiming that 73% of the sunscreens they tested didn't work as well as advertised and/or contain "worrisome" ingredients.
Best ewg sunscreen spray skin#
With so many options, finding the best one to keep your family's skin safe can be tricky.Įach year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) takes a critical look at some of the biggest sunscreen brands on the market and calls out the best and the worst as part of its annual sunscreen guide. A lot of makeup and skin creams claim SPF protection these days, too. But browse the drugstore aisles and you'll see dozens of sunscreens out there - sprays, lotions, lip balms and more are all front and center. We all know it by now: You have to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays.
