Summertime is here... Sunscreens to avoid

We all know that sunscreen is essential all year round. If you didn't know that, well now you do. Believe it or not there are some sunscreens that you should steer clear of completely. Another important fact that most women don't realize, is the sunscreen protection in your makeup isn't enough. You should still apply a layer of sunscreen prior to putting on your makeup. Remember: Keep the sunscreen away from your eyes.

The Enviromental Working Group (EWG) recently released a new sunscreen guide to help everyone make smart & safe decisions while shopping for sunscreen. There are over 600 beach & sport sunscreens out there and the EWG recommends only about 20% of them. A sunscreen must be effective in adequately protecting your skin from both UVA (which causes premature aging, skin cancer, & other skin damage) and UVB ( which causes sunburn) rays. It also has to be safe, which means it has to be free of potentially harmful chemicals. The EWG listed some popular brands of sunscreens to avoid. 

• Aveeno Active Naturals Hydrosport Sunblock Spray, SPF 85
• Aveeno Sunblock Spray, Continurous Portection, SPF 70
• Banana Boat Kids Ultra Mist Sunscreen, SPF 110
• Banana Boat Kids Ultra Mist Sunscreen, SPF 85
• Banana Boat Sport Performance Active Max Protect Continuous Spray Sunscreen, SPF 110Banana Boat Ultra Defense Ultra Mist Sunscreen Continuous Clear Spray, SPF 86
• CVS Extreme Sport Clear Mist Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70+
• CVS Sheer  Mist Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Sunblock Lotion, Body Mist, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Spectrum + Sunblock Spray, SPF 100
• Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray, SPF 100+
• Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock Lotion, SPF 100+
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock Lotion, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Sunblock SPray, SPF 70
• Neutrogena Wet Skin Sunblock Spray, SPF 85+
• Walgreens Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen, SPF 70

If you wondering how the EWG came up these products to avoid, they met all of these criteria:

• SPF values above 50-plus. Higher SPF products are not necessarily best. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration says these numbers can be misleading. There's a concern that high SPF products may give people a false sense of security and encourage people to stay out in the sun for too long without reapplying sunscreen. It's also important to note that the SPF is based solely on UVB protection.
• Sunscreen sprays. They can fill the air with tiny particles that may not be safe to breathe in, according to EWG.
• Contains oxybenzone and vitamin A. Oxybenzone is a concern because it penetrates the skin, is associated with allergic reactions, and is a potential hormone disruptor. Retinyl palmitate is a form of vitamin A that may not be safe when exposed to sunlight. EWG recommends choosing products with one of these ingredients instead: zinc, titanium dioxide, avobenzone, or Mexoryl SX.

 So which products does the EWG recommend? The products listed below are just some of the safest and most effective sunscreens that are affordable.

• Alba Botanical Sun: Mineral Sunscreen Fragrance Free, SPF 30
• Alba Botanical Sun: Mineral Sunscreen Kids, SPF 30
• Aubrey Organics Natural Sun Saving Face Sunscreen, SPF 15
• All Terrain Aquasport Performance Sunscreen, SPF 30
• All Terrain Kid Sport Sunscreen, SPF 30
• Baby Ganics Cover Up Baby Sunscreen for Face & Body, Frangrance Free, SPF 50+
• Carribean Solutions Natural/Biodegradable SolGuard, SPF 25
• Carribean Solutions Sol Kid Kare Natural Sunscreen, SPF 25
• Earth's Best: Sunblock Mineral Based, SPF 30+
• Goddess Garden Kids Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
• Goddess Garden Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
• Jason Natural Cosmetics Sunbrellas: Mineral Natural Sunblock, SPF 30
• Johnson & Johnson's Baby Daily Face & Body Lotion, SPF 40
• Mexitan Products Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50 & SPF 30
• MelanSol Natural Sunscreen for Face and Body, SPF 25
• Nature's Gate Mineral Sportblock, SPF 20
• Purple Prairie Botanicals SunStuff, SPF 30
• Solbar Zinc Protection Cream, SPF 38
• Sunbow Dora the Explorer Pink Sunscreen, SPF 30
• Tropical Sands All Natural Sunscreen, SPF 50 & SPF 30
• Vanicream Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin, SPF 30
• Vanicream Sunscreen Sport, SPF 35

Remember that using sunscreen is only one part of smart sun protection. Limit your time outside in the middle of the when the sun's rays are the most intense. Wear a hat, sunglasses and Protective clothing (dark & tightly-woven). When you're at the pool, beach or just working in your garden make sure to apply a thick even coat of sunscreen every 3 hours.