This week the Environmental Working Group announced its findings, after an 18 month study and assessment of sunblocks. It rated sunscreens on a scale for both effectiveness and safety. It’s a really interesting study – you can check it out at http://www.ewg.org/node/21719.

According to their press release: “The analysis found that 84 percent of 785 sunscreen products with an SPF rating of 15 or higher offer inadequate protection from the sun’s harmful rays, or contain ingredients with safety concerns. Ironically, some popular sunscreen chemicals break down when exposed to sunlight and must be formulated with stabilizing chemicals. Others penetrate the skin and present significant health concerns.”

It also shows that SPF ratings are for UVB rays only – and there really isn’t a rating system for UVA, which can be as harmful or even more so than UVB rays. They recommend sunblocks with “physical blocks” such as titanium

So definitely check it out – it’s amazing the trust we put in many of the most popular names and how it turns out we might not be getting what we thought we were. Throw out those bottles of Coppertone and head back to the pharmacy for something that will really do the job!