Summer and sunshine go hand in hand! While there are health benefits to sun exposure such as being a source for Vitamin D, it can also be harmful if you are overexposed or not protected correctly putting you at risk for sunburn or skin cancer. But, did you know a recent study done by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that roughly two-thirds of sunscreens in the United States simply don’t work and/or they contain toxic ingredients that are readily absorbed by the body?
During a recent study it was found that sunscreen chemicals hit the bloodstream within a day of using them with toxicity levels high enough to prompt a government investigation on safety. To put this into perspective roughly half of sunscreen on the market today in the United States would not be allowed in Europe due to the fact they don’t actually protect you from UV rays. It has been proven that the sunscreen in the United States allows three times more UVA rays to pass through skin than the sunscreens found in Europe. When looking at sun exposure UVA rays are more abundant than UVB rays. UVB rays mainly cause sunburn, but the damage of UVA rays is more subtle. UVA rays can damage your skin with no sign of sunburn by suppressing the immune system and aging the skin over time. Also, the development of melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are linked to the exposure of UVA rays.
Due to all of this the FDA is proposing to make improvements to sunscreen regulations, but this could possibly take years. In the meantime it’s important to consider sunscreen differs from any other product that we use, because we don’t rinse it off like shampoo/conditioner etc, so you want to make sure you’re choosing the best of what’s available for you and your family. So which one is actually the best available? I have broken them down into a few categories for you below.
The Best Beach & Sport Sunscreens of 2019
-Attitude 100% Mineral Sunscreen, Fragrance Free, SPF 30
-All Good Sunstick, Unscented, SPF 30
-Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Lotion Sunscreen, Sensitive Skin, SPF 50
-Badger Active Natural Mineral Sunscreen Cream, Unscented, SPF 30
-Goddess Garden Sport Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
-Just Skin Food Baby Beach Bum Sunscreen Stick, SPF 31
-Kabana Organic Skincare Green Screen Sunscreen Lotion, Original, SPF 32
-Poofy Organics The Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
-Poofy Organics The Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
-Sunology Mineral Sunscreen, Body, SPF 50
-Thinksport Sunscreen, SPF 50+
-Waxhead Sun Defense Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
-The Best Moisturizing Sunscreens of 2019
-Badger Damascus Rose Face Sunscreen, SPF 25
-Block Island Organics Natural Face Moisturizer, SPF 30
-Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense, SPF 30
-Goddess Garden Face the Day Daily Moisturizer, SPF 30
-Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer, SPF 30
-Sanre Shaded Rose Solar Calming Facial Cream, SPF 30
-Suntegrity Skincare Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer, SPF 30
The Best Kid Friendly Sunscreens of 2019
-Adorable Baby Sunscreen, SPF 30+
-All Good Kids Sunscreen, SPF 30
-Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
-Badger Kids Active Sunscreen Cream, Tangerine & Vanilla, SPF 30
-Bare Republic Baby Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
-Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen, Baby, SPF 30+
-BurnOut Kids Sunscreen, SPF 35
-California Baby Calendula Sunscreen, SPF 30+
-COOLA Suncare Baby Mineral Sunscreen Stick, SPF 50
-Equate Baby Zinc Sunscreen Mineral Lotion, SPF 50
-Goddess Garden Kids Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
-Hawaiian Sol Sol Kid Kare, SPF 50
-MDSolarSciences KidCreme Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 40
-Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Sunscreen, SPF 50
-Nurture My Body Baby Organic Sunscreen, SPF 32
-Sunology Mineral Sunscreen, Kids, SPF 50
-thinkbaby Sunscreen, SPF 50+
-thinksport Kids Sunscreen, SPF 50+
-Tom’s of Maine Baby Sunscreen Lotion, Fragrance Free, SPF 30
-Waxhead Sun Defense Baby Zinc Oxide Sunscreen, SPF 35
Worst Sunscreens for Kids
-Banana Boat Kids Continuous Spray Sunscreen, SPF 100
-Banana Boat Kids Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100
-Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Lotion Spray, SPF 50
-Coppertone Kids Sunscreen Spray, SPF 50
-Coppertone Kids Wet Protect Sunscreen Spray, SPF 50
-CVS Health Children’s Clear Spray, SPF 50 and 70
-Equate Baby Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 70
-Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Stick Sunscreen/Spray, SPF 70+
-Up & Up Kids Sunscreen Spray, SPF 50
Worst sunscreens overall scoring in the Red Zone (7-10) for major safety concerns:
-Panama Jack Sport Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50+ & 85
-Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunscreen, SPF 60+
-CVS Health Sensitive Skin Sun Lotion, SPF 60+
-Up & Up Sport Sunscreen Spray, SPF 15, 30 & 50
-Panama Jack Sunscreen Spray, SPF 15, 30 & 70
-NO-AD Sun Care Sport Continuous Spray Sunscreen, SPF 50
-Neutrogena Wet Skin Sunscreen Spray, SPF 50 & 85+
-Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen Spray, SPF 30
-Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+
-Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen, SPF 70, 85+ & 100+
Of course, there are alternatives to using sunscreen that you can do to avoid your risk of overexposure although it’s highly encouraged to apply sunscreen for extra protection. During peak sunlight hours I recommend using sunglasses, sun-protective hats and clothing. As mentioned before, the sun is an important factor in assisting our body to create Vitamin D. Simply sitting in the sun for roughly 10 minutes helps your body create about 10,000 units of natural vitamin D which is vital for good health, so just make sure you are doing it as safely as possible!
