The Environmental Working Group just released their 2012 U.S. Sunscreen report, part of a comprehensive annual study that rates 257 brands and more than 1,800 products for sun protection.
To be completely honest, I never really paid attention to this topic, mainly because we live in the Pacific Northwest and only use sunscreen hardcore a few months of out of the year. However, just recently, I noticed Sky’s eczema seemed to flare up every time we used the Coppertone sport spray we purchased in bulk at Costco. This led to a little research and what I discovered was alarming.
I had no idea that sunscreens contained so many harmful chemicals and hormone disrupting side effects, especially for kids and babies. The good news is that things are improving and the consumer demand for healthy alternatives are causing brands to re-think what they put in their products.
While I would encourage you to read the executive summary and full report, here are just a few of the most highly rated, safe and effective sunscreens for kids, baby, and parents too:
{top to bottom, left to right: Kiss my Face, Seventh Generation, Aveeno, California Baby, Episencial, Badger, Alba Botanica, and Coppertone Kids}
A few more goodies:
- They also reviewed lip balms with SPF, moisturizers with SPF, and makeup with SPF!
- The 2012 sunscreen hall of shame.
- Unrelated to sunscreen, but still within the EWG family, I use this resource ALL the time to determine what produce we should buy organic vs. not.
