New Study Reveals Only 25% of Sunscreens Are Safe

Sunscreen is critical when it comes to protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. Sun exposure is a top factor for developing skin cancer, which kills more than two Americans every hour. There are over 9,500 new cases of skin cancer each year, so prevention is key.

Given how important sunscreen is, it should come as a big surprise that, according to a new study, only one-quarter of the products on the shelves are safe and effective to use. With summer, sunny days, and high temperatures looming large, let’s take a look at which sunscreens you and your loved ones can rely on to keep you safe — and which ones you may want to avoid.

The Study’s Findings

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit, environmental research organization committed to protecting the environment and promoting public health, analyzed more than 2,200 sunscreens available for purchase this year. The organization has been producing a sunscreen guide annually for nearly two decades. They assessed products based on criteria like:

• The ability of the sunscreen’s active ingredients to provide balanced protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
• Determining if the product contains any hazardous or harmful chemicals or ingredients.

There are two types of sunscreens: chemical and mineral. Chemical sunscreens work by soaking into the skin as a chemical reaction that absorbs UV radiation as energy and disperses it as heat. Unlike chemical sunscreens, mineral sunscreens work by physically deflecting and blocking UV rays. The EWG says that there are several safety and ethical considerations to consider when it comes to both chemical and mineral sunscreens:

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that in chemical sunscreens, seven of the ingredients (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, ecamsule, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate) were absorbed into the bloodstream after a single day of use. The concentration of the chemicals increased each day after application and remained above the FDA’s safety levels a week later; two of the chemicals were above the safety threshold 21 days after application.
• These chemicals can also enter waterways via wastewater, since they are in the bloodstream, causing significant damage to coral reefs and other aquatic life.
• One of the chemicals, oxybenzone, has been linked to lower testosterone levels in adolescent boys, hormonal changes in men, and shorter pregnancies and disrupted birth weights in babies.
• Some mineral-based sunscreens contain “boosters”, which are designed to artificially raise the sun protection factor, or SPF.
• There has not been adequate testing on whether some aerosolized products, or spray sunscreens, can be inhaled into the deep lung, potentially causing harm to one’s health. These products may endanger individuals with certain medical conditions, like those with heart or lung disease, people with diabetes, older adults, and children.

Picking a Sunscreen

The Environmental Working Group’s 2025 Sunscreen Guide is a fantastic resource for picking which sun protection product is best for you and your loved ones. The guide lists which products give you the “best bang for your buck,” which sunscreens are the highest rated for daily usage, the best sunscreens for babies and young children, and much, much more. Here are just a few of this year’s choices:

• For kids:ThinkSport Clear Zinc Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30.
• Mineral sunscreen:Mustela Mineral Sunscreen Stick, Face and Body, SPF 50.
• For moisturizing:Well People Bio Tint Tinted Moisturizer, 5N, SPF 30 and Well People Bio Tint Tinted Moisturizer, 2W, SPF 30.

To check out the organization’s complete list, please visit: https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/.

In addition to using one of the EWG’s approved, safe, and effective sunscreens, there are plenty of other steps you can take to safeguard your skin from painful sunburn and worse. We have compiled some useful sun safety tips and recommendations from the FDA below:

• When you are outside, seek shade, particularly between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• Remember that the sun’s rays can be even stronger when they are reflected off snow, sand, or water.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, sunglasses, and broad-brimmed hats to limit as much sun exposure as you can.
• Use a broad sunscreen regularly and as directed! Reapply as necessary. While an SPF of 15 is the minimum number required to provide measurable protection, a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher is recommended for comprehensive protection.

Philadelphia Products Liability Attorneys at Galfand Berger, LLP, Representing Injured Victims Since 1947

Contact the Philadelphia products liability attorneys at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.