Of the more than 1,300 SPF sunscreens, moisturizers and lip balms analyzed in the updated EWG Sunscreen Database, only 25 percent offer adequate protection and are free of worrisome ingredients like oxybenzone, a suspected hormone disruptor linked to endometriosis, low sperm count and other health threats. still contain damaging chemicals or fail to offer enough protection against ultraviolet rays. “This is just one example of the backward nature of product regulation in the U.S.”īeyond safety issues is another question: Does sunscreen even work? Environmental Working Group’s 2020 report released in May found that nearly 75 percent of sunscreens don’t work and/or contain concerning ingredients that are readily absorbed by the body.ĮWG’s 14 years of sunscreen ingredient analysis suggests that while there have been major improvements over the last decade, the vast majority of sunscreens available for purchase in the U.S. “We slather these ingredients on our skin, but these chemicals haven’t been adequately tested,” says public health expert Nneka Leiba, EWG’s vice president of healthy living science. This builds on previous research that discovered sunscreen chemicals hit the bloodstream within a day of using them, and at levels high enough to prompt a government investigation on safety. The sunscreen chemicals tested include avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate and octinoxate, and all six active ingredients tested readily absorbed into the bloodstream of humans in the study - and at concentrations that surpass an important FDA safety threshold. “The current FDA standards for UVA protection are so weak, that our analysis of the sunscreens in this year’s guide showed that 75 percent of the products we reviewed would not meet the European standards for UVA protection.”Īdding to concerns about sunscreen safety are the recent results of an FDA-led January 2020 study finding that “chemical sunscreen ingredients are systemically absorbed after one application, and some ingredients can stay in the blood for at least 3 weeks.” Products sold in Europe need to offer proportional UVA and UVB protection for a more balanced and comprehensive protection from excess sun, Burns explains.īut this UVA/UVB ratio isn’t required in the U.S. “Europe has stronger standards for their sunscreens,” explains Carla Burns, sunscreen research and database analyst at Environmental Working Group (EWG). In comparison, Europe has a more robust list of approved sunscreen ingredients, including ones that more effectively protect against UVA rays, the type more prone to cause melanoma compared to UVB rays. It all comes down to the fact that America’s sunscreen regulations are weak and inadequate. And in fact, many sneaky label claims may leave customers thinking they’re more protected than they really are. In America, most sunscreens on the market simply aren’t offering an adequate shield from the sun. With warmer weather right around the corner, though, many people are looking for the best sunscreens to cut their risk of sun overexposure, sunburns and possibly skin cancer.īut there’s just one problem. It’s no secret that the sun (in moderate doses) provides all sorts of health benefits, including helping our bodies manufacture vital vitamin D.
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