According to a new study, 80 percent of SPF products ranging from sunscreen to lip balms and moisturizers won’t protect you from the sun safely. Researchers associated with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted a study on 1,700 SPF products.
The EWG’s assessment accounted for a bunch of different factors: UVA protection, UVB protection, and UVA/UVB balance, as well as the stability of active ingredients, which affects how well a product stands up to sunlight and remains effective. With this data, they compiled a Hall of Shame for products that seriously fall short, including ones made by common drugstore brands like Banana Boat, CVS brand, Neutrogena, Coppertone, NO-AD, and Ocean Potion.
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The list includes 11 spray sunscreens, which are difficult to apply meticulously and dangerous to inhale, and 12 sunscreen lotions, namely chosen for their sky-high SPF numbers (they give users a false sense of security) and harmful ingredients, including oxybenzone (it can get into the bloodstream and mimic estrogen) and retinyl palmitate (a form of vitamin A that could lead to skin tumors and lesions on sun-exposed skin).
The EWG did give their blessings to 217 sport sunscreens, 62 non-mineral sunscreens, 122 SPF-containing moisturizers, and 32 lip balms. So you can check the lists for your favorite brand and switch it up if your go-to is alarmingly absent. On the fly, look for a cream sunscreen (not a spray) with an SPF of 15 to 50. It should contain zinc oxide, 3 percent avobenzone, or Mexoryl SX, and be free of retinyl palmitate or retinol.
Of course the product you choose won’t matter much if you don’t bother to use it on your face and exposed skin, like nearly 30 percent of women involved in 2013 survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
To protect your skin, lather up and reapply every couple hours — especially after sweating, swimming, or toweling off. To be even more cautious, cover exposed skin with clothing, wear a hat and sunglasses, and set up shop in the shade when you picnic or hang at the beach.
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