Study: 50% Sunscreens Don’t Provide UVA Protection

Wednesday, 25 May 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Warning! Read the label on your sunscreen. The San Francisco Chronicle says more than half of those for sale in the US don’t provide proper protection against harmful UVA rays. A new study says “lax federal regulations [have] allowed a marketing Wild West to develop” within the sunscreen industry. You should look for brands that include zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, both ingredients that experts say effectively block out UVA rays, and avoid ones with retinyl palmitate. Also, the study recommends staying away from high SPFs, which they say cause a false sense of security.

The study was conducted by a non-profit called the Environmental Working Group. They’ve put together a useful database that allows you to see whether your brand is an effective choice or not. And here are the sunscreens that made the group’s Hall of Shame