Choosing the Right Sunscreen

by Sara Berg, General Merchandise Category Manager

There are a lot of competing claims for what should, or should not, be in sunscreen. We like Environmental Working Group (EWG) as a source of information, and this article draws on their recommendations. You can find more information on the sunscreen section of their website, including their 2021 sunscreen ratings: www.ewg.org/sunscreen.

First, we should note that they recommend sunscreen as a “last resort.” Whenever possible, wear clothing that protects your skin, spend time in the shade when the sun is high in the sky, and do your best not to get sunburned. Sometimes those things aren’t possible, and that’s when it's especially important to wear a good sunscreen.

EWG recommends avoiding sunscreens with oxybenzone, vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), or added insect repellent; that are sprays or powders; or that have a SPF above 50. The organization recommends seeking out sunscreens with zinc oxide, avobenzone, or mexoryl SX; are a cream and water-resistant; offer broad spectrum protection; and have a SPF that suits your needs. Find it hard to remember all of this? EWG offers a handy printable wallet card on their website!

Below is a table showing the sunscreens we currently carry and how they compare. All of the products listed are broad spectrum and reef-friendly.

Definitions

SPF: Sun Protection Factor 

Per the US Food & Drug Administration, “SPF is a measure of how much solar energy (UV radiation) is required to produce sunburn on protected skin (i.e., in the presence of sunscreen) relative to the amount of solar energy required to produce sunburn on unprotected skin. As the SPF value increases, sunburn protection increases.” So why does EWG warn about SPF higher than 50 if higher numbers are better? There are a variety of reasons, including an imbalance of protection against UVA vs. UVB rays (see below) and only marginally increased protection. EWG found that “properly applied SPF 50 sunscreen blocks 98 percent of UVB rays” while “SPF 100 blocks 99 percent.” Learn more at www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/whats-wrong-with-high-spf.

Broad Spectrum 

“Broad spectrum sunscreen provides protection from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. There are two types of UV radiation that you need to protect yourself from—UVA and UVB. Broad spectrum provides protection against both by providing a chemical barrier that absorbs or reflects UV radiation before it can damage the skin” (FDA).

Active Ingredient

“Active ingredients in sunscreens function as either mineral or chemical UV filters that keep harmful rays from the skin. The most common sunscreens contain chemical filters. These products typically include a combination of two to six of the following active ingredients: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate. Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide” (FDA). In February 2019, the FDA released its final draft sunscreens monograph, which gave the “generally recognized as safe and effective” designation to just two active sunscreen ingredients: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. COVID-19 temporarily disrupted further work on the results of the monograph. 

Reef-Friendly

The term is unregulated, but it typically means a sunscreen that does not contain chemical ingredients that have been tied to deterioration of coral reefs.