The Issue
Sunscreens
Many sunscreens have problematic ingredients and poor UV protection and make overblown claims. Since 2007, EWG has been scouring the market for the safest and most effective products.
Highlights
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The Latest on Sunscreens
The top environmental health stories of 2012 were all about everyday hazards that are right in our backyards. They have to do with the unintended consequences of chemical pollution that could harm the health of our families, our neighbors, our towns - our nation.
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It's fair to say that I'm not a beach person. My hair is pale blonde and my skin is the color of a marshmallow, if it had freckles. I have nightmarish memories of being covered head to toe in sunscreen and still getting burned. So now when I visit the shore, I faithfully apply one of the sunscreens highly rated by EWG's Sunscreen Guide, sit under an umbrella and still worry about getting burned.
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I have happy memories of long summer days spent outdoors, largely unencumbered by sun hats, sunglasses and sunscreen.
Now we know that one blistering burn during childhood can increase a child's risk of developing melanoma. So I diligently spread a thick layer of sunscreen on my own sons, who are six and two.
My motivation to protect my children is strong, but getting it done is a bit more of a challenge. Just because the label says, "for children," that doesn't mean a sunscreen truly meets the high standards every parent wants for their children's products.
Read MoreLate last week, news outlets began reporting that the Federal Communications Commission was considering revising its cell phone radiation testing methods - for the first time in 15 years. Early this week, Governor Jerry Brown of California announced a revision of the state's outdated flame retardant requirements. All in all, it was a good week for modernizing outdated health standards that are putting people at risk.
Read MoreWhen I spoke with EWG senior analyst Nneka Leiba about this year's sunscreen database she had mixed feelings.
"On one hand, we can recommend 25 percent of sunscreens on the market," she said. "On the other hand, we can recommend 25 percent of sunscreens on the market."
After five years of advocating more effective and safe sunscreens, we're excited to see some progress in the marketplace. Last year we could recommend 20 percent of sunscreens, and the year before only eight percent. Why is that?
Read MoreConsumers can have confidence in about one quarter of the sunscreen products on store shelves this year, according to Environmental Working Group’s review and ranking of more than 1,800 products. Last year, only 20 percent got EWG’s best ratings, and only 8 percent scored well in 2010.
Read MoreLate Thursday EWG found out the Food and Drug Administration was going to delay their sunscreen regulations by six months, at the request of the cosmetics industry. EWG replied with a statement that called out the agency's foot-dragging and highlighted the disservice to consumers. USA Today, Forbes, Mother Jones, Los Angles Times and E&E News all ran stories.
Read MoreUnder pressure from two cosmetic industry groups, the Food and Drug Administration has decided to delay for six months implementation of pending regulations on how sunscreens are labeled and marketed.
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People are messy. So is nature. And what people do when nature unleashes its fury often makes things worse.
The staff at Environmental Working Group took a look at the major environmental news stories of the year and came up with two lists: the Top 10 Good News stories and the Top 10 Bad News stories.
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Nearly thirty-three years after the federal Food and Drug Administration announcing its intention to develop sunscreen regulations, it finally finalized some of its rules this summer. And while we at the Environmental Working Group were pleased with some of the progress made, in some key areas the FDA didn't go far enough to protect public health.
Read MoreEWG comments on FDA's efforts to ensure the safety and effectiveness of sunscreens. The sunscreen rulemaking process began in 1978, but FDA's 2011 rules do not sufficiently protect the public from misleading marketing, hazardous ingredients or inferior products.
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New sunscreen rules will do away with the worst hype in sunscreen marketing. But they don't address concerns about ingredient safety, particularly a form of vitamin A which has become common in sunscreen and other skin products.
Read MoreSunscreens prevent sunburns, but beyond that simple fact surprisingly little is known about the safety and efficacy of these ubiquitous creams and sprays. FDA's failure to finalize its 1978 sunscreen safety standards both epitomizes and perpetuates this state of confusion.
Read MoreImagine grabbing a cookbook to find the perfect recipe for key lime pie to present at your summer barbeque. Thumbing through the pages, you locate an inviting entry. Only there are some problems.
Read MorePretty much all I knew about sunscreen growing up was that SPF was some measure of how much sunburn protection came out of the bottle. Hard to believe that back in the day, the great debate was "6 or 8," not 30 or 50. (or 110!) We even busted out the baby oil on occasion (oh, the teen years!).
Read MoreEvery year about this time my friends want to me to tell them exactly which sunscreen to buy. They want the one that works the best to protect skin with the least toxic ingredients. And who can blame them?
Read MoreConsumers can trust a slim 20 percent of the beach and sport sunscreens assessed for the 2011 sun season, according to Environmental Working Group’s survey of over 1,700 sun products.
Read MoreA key independent science advisory panel has voted to confirm federal researchers' conclusion that retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A found in two-fifths of U.S. sunscreens, speeds the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight.
Read MoreJust because it's cold when you're on the slopes, doesn't mean you get to ignore the sun.
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