The Good, the Bad and the Dangerous! The Best and Worst of 2012 Sunscreens

WooHoo the 2012 EWG sunscreen report is here!

The good news is the sunscreen industry has finally started to respond to consumer pressure to make sunscreens that actually do help protect to protect skin from sun damage with fewer harmful chemicals.

The bad news there are still lots if sunscreens on the shelves this year that don’t give the protection they claim, are packed with harmful chemicals and make claims that are downright misleading

Only a quarter of the more than 800 beach and sports sunscreens analyzed by Environmental Working Group for the 2012 Sunscreen Guide met their standards for effectiveness and safety –and that’s actually progress!

In 2011 the EWG could only recommend 20 percent of the sun protection products evaluated, and in 2010 it was even worse: just 1-in-12.

We have demanded the market offer better options, and sunscreen makers listened. We still have a long way to go so keep up the momentum, keep demanding improved sunscreens. One-in-four is better than last year, but it’s not good enough.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Americans spend more than half a billion dollars annually on sunscreen; we really do deserve better protection & more truthful labeling.

A quarter of this year’s products still contain vitamin A ingredients that accelerate the growth of skin tumors and lesions on sun-exposed skin, according to recent government studies.

Also, 56 of the products reviewed had no active ingredients that protect against the sun’s damaging UVA rays. And the industry continues to load store shelves with sunscreens that claim misleading, sky-high SPF ratings that may protect against sunburn-causing UVB rays but leave skin vulnerable to UVA.

According to the EWG the best sun protection is still sun protective clothing

The best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt. No chemicals for the skin to absorb, no questions about whether the product works, no bogus claims like “sunblock.” (No conventional product blocks out all rays. That’s why the FDA is trying to ban the term. )

But when you can’t avoid exposing your skin to the sun, use EWG’s Sunscreen Guide to find top-rated sunscreens with broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection but fewer hazardous chemicals that penetrate the skin. All of EWG’s top-rated products contain either zinc or titanium minerals to filter UVA rays.

So grab your Sunny Sleevez to protect your arms, and load up on Badger & California Baby to protect the bits clothing leaves exposed

About sunnysleevez

I'm a freckly red head, originally from London now living in LA with 2 pale children. Frankly with our coloring we have no business being such an outdoorsy family and living in southern California. I grew up in a time when factor 8 sun milk was considered the best protection available to combat the hot rays of a holiday in southern Spain, that lead to 3rd degree burns and the rest of the vacation spent in the shade of our apartment. As a family we love to be outside, going to the beach, camping, swimming & hiking. We can't completely avoid the sun (nor should we) but taking sensible measures to avoid unnecessary UV damage is a priority. How do we do that? By staying in the shade in the middle of the day, wearing sun protective clothing (that's why I created Sunny Sleevez), a broad brimmed hat, UV rated sunglasses, using chemical-free broad spectrum sun screen on exposed areas & eating a healthy diet with as few chemicals as possible & lots of antioxidants.

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2 Responses to The Good, the Bad and the Dangerous! The Best and Worst of 2012 Sunscreens

dcwisdom says:

May 17, 2012 at 4:02 pm

Great information. Love those sleeves, and very hip, too. Thanks for visiting me today. I’ll follow.

Jim Brennan says:

May 27, 2012 at 7:05 am

If you hadn’t signed up to follow my blog, I likely would not have found you—and I’m so happy y I did. My oldest son had melanoma when he was eighteen. I’m glad I didn’t know then what I know now or I would have been more of a wreck than I was. I have a buddy who is presently battling melanoma and having a rough time. My wife recently sustained second-degree burns in a cooking accident, boiling cooking oil down her forearm. Your Sunny Sleeuez is exactly what she is looking for. Love your blog, keep up the good and valuable work.