2010 Sunscreen Guide
Summer is upon us, and as nothing but sunny days (I can dream, right?) are on the horizon, it is time to stock up on sunscreen. Broad-spectrum protection (from both UVA and UVB rays) is a must. But beyond that requirement, I’ll confess that I am usually more than a little intimidated by the multitude of options on the sunscreen aisle. That is, until now.
Environmental Working Group has issued its 2010 Sunscreen Guide in an attempt to help consumers navigate the choices – spray or lotion? SPF 30 or 50+? – and protect ourselves against both the sun as well as potentially harmful ingredients in sunscreen.
The 2010 Sunscreen Guide contains Sun Safety Tips, a list of the best and worst sunscreens, and a search mechanism to help you find out more about the sunscreen you usually use. Unfortunately, the Guide has shown me that the sunscreen I relied most on last summer only provides “moderate” protection against UVA and UVB rays and contains oxybenzone (a potentially toxic chemical). With the help of the Guide, I’ll be picking a safer, more environmentally-friendly sunscreen for 2010.
Comments
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June 8th, 2010
Great post, Alexandra. It is so hard to sort out what is safe for kids and what is not. I will certainly consult this list, thanks!
When buying suncream for my young son (25 months old) I always find that a high SPF (at least 40) “spray-on” type is best. As with most toddlers he keeps taking his hat off and as he is very fair haired (and doesn’t have all that much hair anyway) I need to be able to apply suncream to his head and find that creams just leave streaks in his hair. Whereas a spray-on cream just gets it over and done with quickly with as little fuss as possible.
I am fair skinned and had wondered about that. I am fortunate enough to live in sunny Florida. I have been using the spray on CVS brand a lot and it will be interesting to see how it fairs on the list.