Is your sunscreen a danger to your family? A recent study suggests it might be.

A new report released Tuesday by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) claims that 73% of the 880 sunscreens it tested didn't work as well as advertised or contained "worrisome" ingredients.

Almost 3/4 of the products that were examined did not have effective protection or contained harmful ingredients like oxybenzone, a hormone disruptor or retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A that may harm the skin. 

"Sunscreen products are not as good as they should be. Today’s sunscreens do not fully protect skin from all types of UV damage. Sunscreens were invented to stop sunburn and they are commonly indexed by their SPF rating, which describes the product’s ability to prevent burning. High-energy UVB rays burn skin and directly damage skin DNA, but they make up just 3 to 5 percent of UV radiation striking the earth’s surface. More numerous UVA rays, by contrast, can be equally damaging without blistering the skin. Because UVA radiation penetrates deeper into the body than UVB, it can cause a different type of DNA damage than UVB" (Environmental Working Group 2009).

Sunscreens can have an impact on the body's hormones.

According to the report, "Sunscreen is designed to be applied to large portions of the body, several times per day. Sunscreen ingredients soak through the skin and can be detected in people’s blood, urine, and even mothers’ breast milk. Several commonly used ingredients appear to block or mimic hormones, and others cause allergic reactions on sensitive skin. The FDA’s sunscreen rules grandfathered in sunscreen active ingredients that were already on the market. The agency has never reviewed evidence of ill effects of sunscreen ingredients."

What about Vitamin D?

Not only can sunscreens negatively interact with the body's natural balance, but they can also inhibit the body's production of vitamin D, which is a vital mineral we need from sunlight. The EWG’s report states that "About 25 percent of Americans have borderline low levels of vitamin D, and 8 percent have a serious deficiency. Breast-fed infants, people with darker skin, and people who have limited sun exposure are at greatest risk of vitamin D deficiency."

What kind of sunscreen can you trust?

By far mineral-based sunscreens are what we at Sprigs would recommend. As stated in the report, "Mineral sunscreens are made with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, usually in the form of nanoparticles. There is good evidence that little if any zinc or titanium particles penetrate the skin to reach living tissues. Thus, mineral sunscreens tend to rate better than chemical sunscreens in the EWG sunscreen database."

Protecting your family

In short, you can better protect your family this summer by limiting your time in the sun, wearing clothing and hats when you do have to be in the sun, and choosing mineral-based sunscreens.