Sunscreen
This weekend, as I attempted to restock sunscreen for these final days of summer I got overwhelmed in the aisle at the store. So many ingredients, so many brands, so many SPF’s! I’m fair-skinned and I love being in the sun, a combination that has resulted in some painful burns over the years. These days I’m trying to be more responsible, but contemplating which sunscreens are safest is exhausting. Instead of choosing from the 50 or so sunblocks for sale, I decided to see what the experts recommend.
Thankfully, earlier this summer the Environmental Working Group put out its 2010 sunscreen guide http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/best-beach-sport-sunscreens. The non-profit’s researchers analyzed 500 beach and sport sunscreens, and recommend only 39 of them that provide broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB-sunburn) protection with fewer hazardous chemicals that penetrate the skin.
All of EWG’s top-rated sunscreens contain either the minerals zinc or titanium. “They are the right choice for people who are looking for the best UVA protection without any sunscreen chemical considered to be a potential hormone disruptor. None of the products contain oxybenzone or vitamin A and none are sprayed or powdered,” the group says.
Top rated brands include:
All Terrain, Badger, Beyond Coastal, California Baby, Caribbean Solutions, Desert Essence, Episencial, Estion, Jason Natural Cosmetics, Kabana Skin Care, L’uvalla Certified Organic, La Roche-Posay, Little Forest, Loving Naturals, Miessence, Purple Prairie Botanicals, Soleo Organics, think baby and think sport, Trukid, UV Natural and Vanicream.
For those who want to avoid nano-scale minerals like zinc and titanium oxide, EWG also offers some non-mineral choices. None of these earned the top rating, according to EWG, as all the non-mineral products contain at least one chemical considered to be a potential hormone disruptor or offer only moderate to weak UVA protection.
EWG also lists products they found deficient in a number of categories. These products were generally guilty of leaving the wearer with little protection from UVA rays, included potential hormone disruptors or were in powder form. This last is particularly dangerous in that the powder is able to enter airways and then bloodstream.
I found my new sunscreen with time enough to enjoy the outdoors this weekend. Take some time to find your own health and eco-friendly brand before Fall!