With June finally here, it’s safe to say it’s officially pool and beach season. And with more and more folks heading out for their long days in the sun, a good sunscreen is more important than ever. This makes the latest sunscreen study on sunscreen claims even more shocking.
According to Fortune, a recent study from nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that approximately three-fourths of sunscreens don’t work at the level that they advertise. Not only that, but these sunscreens contain potentially harmful ingredients.
The study is the 11th installment in the EWG’s sunscreen guide, and this year, it analyzed more than 880 beach and sport sunscreens, as well as 480 moisturizers and 120 lip products containing SPF.
The potentially harmful ingredients include oxybenzone, a known hormone disruptor; and retinyl parlminate, a sunscreen that can increase sensitivity to sun.
But there is some good news for sunscreens: Mineral-only sunscreens did quite well in the analysis. Although Mineral-only sunscreens only accounted for 34 percent of all the sunscreens tested, they are stable in sunlight and offer good protection to UVA and UVB rays, and they do not contain harmful additives.
The EWG found that any products proclaiming an SPF greater than 50 typically are false, and offer the same amount of UVA protection as an SPF 30 product.
For those promotional distributors looking to ramp up on sunscreen promotions for the summer, consider incorporating a mineral sunscreen option using zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to ensure your end-users are safe in the summer sun.
