Now that summer is officially here, I thought I’d post this for those of you who haven’t seen it – it’s EWG’s 2010 Sunscreen Guide. This is a great resource for helping you to select a sunscreen, including a list of their top picks. There is even a list of sunscreens that don’t use physical blockers (like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) – but they make it clear that there are trade-offs to using those products, namely that “all non-mineral products contain at least one sunscreen chemical considered to be a potential hormone disruptor, and many offer only moderate or weak UVA protection.”

In addition to recommending sunscreens, EWG also has a very interesting perspective about the “surprising facts about sunscreen”. In this, they not only highlight the Vitamin A issue I mentioned in a previous post More Concerns About Sunscreen, but they also mention controversy about the impact of sunscreen:

“Some researchers have detected an increased risk of melanoma among sunscreen users. No one knows the cause, but scientists speculate that sunscreen users stay out in the sun longer and absorb more radiation overall, or that free radicals released as sunscreen chemicals break down in sunlight may play a role. One other hunch: Inferior sunscreens with poor UVA protection that have dominated the market for 30 years may have led to this surprising outcome. All major public health agencies still advise using sunscreens, but they also stress the importance of shade, clothing and timing.”

Now I am certainly not one to suggest that anyone SKIP sunscreen – we go through gallons of it here at our house – you have to believe that overall it’s better to use it than not use it. But it does make you think. And when it comes to choosing and using a sunscreen, you have to do what works for you and your family. If you just can’t deal with the white-factor of the zinc and titanium dioxide based products, then clearly you should choose one of the safer chemically-based sunblocks vs. not using any sunscreen or using it only intermittently. And you should always be mindful of being out in the sun too long – regardless of whether you have been diligent about sunscreen.

As I mentioned previously, my newest favorite is the Caribbean Sol sunscreen (pictured) – which is included on the EWG list. I also heard from a Garden Girl customer this week about another one that she loves, that’s on the list as well – “thinkbaby” and “thinksport”.  Check the list out and see what works best for you – and let me know if you find one that you love!