Sunscreen season is here, but it’s important to do some research first to make sure you’re buying something that works best for you and your skin.
Thankfully, scientists have done that research and outlined which ones are bad for you and which ones offer skin protection from the sun.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) shares some valuable insights about the best sunscreen every year.
We hear about certain sunscreen brands being recalled almost yearly; EWG’s list of best sunscreen is pretty foolproof and verified by the website, so you can be sure you’re buying a safe product. The EWG is the best resource to look at before choosing a product.
The trouble with SPF
EWG says that SPF is not the most important factor to consider when buying sunscreen. It states that high SPF products also provide poor UV balance.
“SPF values are an unreliable measure of a sunscreen’s effectiveness. A good sunscreen should provide equal broad-spectrum protection, protecting against both UVA and UVB rays. But the SPF value reflects only how well a product will protect from UVB rays, the main cause of sunburn and some skin cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma,” EWG says.
EWG also notes that high SPF products tend to lull consumers into a false sense of security, causing them to stay in the sun much longer than what is deemed a safe amount of exposure.
“High-SPF products require higher concentrations of sun-filtering chemicals than low-SPF sunscreens do. Some of these ingredients may pose health risks when they penetrate the skin and have been linked to tissue damage and potential hormone disruption. ”
Ingredients to watch out for
You can and should look out for many chemicals and ingredients when purchasing sunscreen.
These ingredients include oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and avobenzone. According to the EWG, oxybenzone is the most problematic.
“This constant exposure to sunscreen chemicals raises concerns, especially because there is not enough safety data for most ingredients. We have even more concerns about ingredients such as oxybenzone, which have been linked to hormone disruption by numerous studies.”
EWG
The best and the worst brands
Some of these products are available at Canadian storefronts, and others can be purchased online.
These are some of the best sunscreen brands currently available, according to EWG:
- ATTITUDE
- Thinksport Clear Zinc
- Babo Botanicals
- Solara Suncare
- Love Sun
- Crunchi
- Stream2Sea
- Beautycounter
Some of these products might no longer be available, but in previous reports, EWG called them some of the worst:
- COOLA Classic Body Spray, Peach Blossom, SPF 70
- Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Mineral Lotion, SPF 60+
- Equate Beauty Ultra Light Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100
- Neutrogena Beach Defence Water+ Sun Protection Lotion, SPF 70
- CVS Health Ultra Protection Sun Lotion, SPF 100
- Banana Boat Kids MAX Clear Spray, SPF 100
- Banana Boat Ultra Defence Clear Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100
- Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100+
- Banana Boat Ultra Sport Lotion, SPF 100
- Panama Jack Sunscreen Continuous Spray, SPF 100