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A swimsuit, a pair of sandals and a bottle of sunscreen—key ingredients to a happy, healthy summer, right? Wrong.
The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit that works to protect public health and the environment, has recently found that 4 out of 5 name-brand sunscreen products don’t protect skin adequately from the sun or contain ingredients with serious safety concerns.
Out of the 1,234 products investigated, the EWG determined that only 14% of the sunscreens provided good sun protection without posing significant health risks.
Many common sunscreen ingredients, such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate, work by absorbing the sun’s energy so the rays don’t penetrate our skin, which is, theoretically, what we want. But, the problem with these chemicals is that they break apart and become ineffective, releasing chemicals that are suspected to cause allergic reactions and even cancer.
Luckily, there are two ingredients found in many sunscreens that remain stable in the sunlight: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Many products, including those recommended by the EWG, use nano-scaled versions of these ingredients for better sun protection. Titanium dioxide is carcinogenic if inhaled, so stay away from powder or spray sunscreens with this ingredient.
Top 5 Safest and Cheapest Sunscreens
Looking at the EWG’s list of recommended sunscreens, it becomes apparent that the safest products are also the priciest. The top product, Soleo Organics Sunscreen, comes in a small 2.6 oz bottle and costs $24.99. Twenty-five dollars for less than three ounces of sunscreen? And the prices get worse: $26.95 for a 3.4 oz container of Keys Soap Solar Rx Moisturizing Cosmetic Sun Block and $32.00 for 1 oz of SanRe Organic Skinfood Supple Sunshine Day Cream.
To stay healthy this summer without going broke, here is a list of five of the safest and cheapest sunscreen products, counting down to the least expensive sunscreen. Whatever sunscreen you choose, remember to always apply liberally and to reapply throughout the day.
Note: The EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database rates products on a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being the safest. Products with a score of 0 to 2 are recommended by EWG.
5. TruKid Sunny Days Mineral Sunscreen UVA/UVB broad Spectrum, SPF 30
This sunscreen is rated 2 out of 10 by EWG, making it one of the 167 recommended sunscreens. This sunscreen contains nano titanium dioxide and is sold in 4 oz bottles for $12.49 at the TruKid Store online.
4. Jason Natural Cosmetics Sunbrella: Mineral Based Physical Sun Block SPF 30
This hypoallergenic sun block comes in a 4 oz container for $12.15 and is given a 1 out of 10 by the EWG. The active ingredients are nano titanium dioxide and nano zinc oxide, giving the product stability in the sun. Buy Jason Sunbrella Sun block at the company’s online store.
3. Solar Sense Clear Zinc, Advanced Sun Protection, SPF 45
Five ounce bottles of this sunscreen are only $9.99 and are given a 2 by EWG. The sunscreen does contain unstable ingredients like oxybenzone, but since it is also equipped with nano zinc oxide, it is recommended by EWG. You can read more about the EWG’s rating of this product on the Skin Deep database or purchase it online.
2. Blue Lizard Australian Suncream Lotion, SPF 30, Regular
Given a 2 by EWG, this sunscreen is sold in 5 oz bottles for $12.49, with larger sizes also available. The product contains nano titanium dioxide and nano zinc oxide. All Blue Lizard Products that don’t contain oxybenzone are recommended by EWG. Check out which Blue Lizard products are safe and which aren’t on the Skin Deep database and buy them here.
1.Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sun Block Lotion, SPF 60
Neutrogena is one of the biggest manufacturers of sunscreen, but only a few of the company’s products, such as the Sensitive Skin Sun Block Lotion, are recommended by EWG. Scoring a 2, this sunscreen contains nano titanium dioxide and nano zinc oxide and is sold in 4 oz bottles for only $9.49. Check out which Neutrogena items to skip at the drugstore on Skin Deep and then buy the safe ones online.
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Thank you thank you thank you. I have seen this report but was overwhelmed so I ignored it this year. And I’m all about cheap when it comes to sunscreen!
Sweet- I usually get Neutrogena for our family since I thought the brand was safe, but I had no idea what to choose. thanks
The safety of nanoparticles has not yet been confirmed yet all of these recommended products contain nano-minerals. There are some preliminary studies that show nanoparticles are toxic to aquatic fauna. http://www.clemson.edu/newsroom/articles/top-stories/Klaine_nanotech.php5
Where do you wear sunscreen? Might they also be dangerous to humans?
You’re right, Rachel, there are concerns about the safety of nanoparticles. The EWG says that when they began their sunscreen investigation, their researchers guessed that they would eventually find nano-sized zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to be unsafe but, after almost 400 peer-reviewed studies, they found otherwise.
Sunscreens that don’t use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, nano-sized or not, offer less UV protection and contain more hazardous ingredients. Many common sunscreen ingredients, like octinoxate and oxybenzone, have been found to absorb into healthy skin; zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, even nano-sized, have not been found to do so.
I am not sure about the environmental/ecological impacts of these ingredients; it seems also that although nano-scale zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are preferable to other sunscreens on the market, they are not ideal. The EWG says that the FDA has failed to approve effective UVA filters used in sunscreens in Europe that could potentially replace nano-scale ingredients. You can read more about the EWG’s report on nanotechnology at http://www.ewg.org/cosmetics/report/sunscreen09/investigation/Nanotechnology-Sunscreens
There are errors in this review. The first suncreen shown Trukid does NOT have nano particles according to ingredients. The Blue Lizard link sunblock you list does have Oxybenzone! after you just said that the ones that don’t have Oxyb. are all rated good at EWB lol. It is the senstive skin spf 30 version that is without oxyb.