Sunscreen hall of shame: 11 iffy products
Do you trust your sunscreen to offer safe, effective protection against damaging solar rays? Don't be so sure. The Environmental Working Group's 2011 Hall of Shame lists 11 products that the watchdog group says might do you more harm than good. Before you slather on the sunscreen, keep clicking to see what's on the list...
Hawaiian Tropic Baby Stick Sunscreen SPF 50
This sunscreen contains two chemicals that the EWG says might damage babies' skin - the "hormone disruptor" oxybenzone and a form vitamin A called retinyl palmitate that may speed up the growth of skin tumors. The UVA protection factor for this sunscreen is also less than 10 - not the 50 SPF advertised on the package.
Baby Blanket SunBlankie Towelette SPF 45+
This baby sunscreen advertises "maximum allowable protection for babies," even though there are no official guidelines for protection. Although this product may prevent burns, the EWG says it doesn't offer enough UVA protection and UVA rays may penetrate babies' skin to cause skin damage.
Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection SPF 55
This product purports to be "mild as water," but the EWG disagrees.
Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70+
This baby product contains oxybenzone, which some say should not be used for prolonged periods over large areas of skin - especially by young people. Yet Coppertone advises users to apply it "liberally."
Banana Boat Sport Performance Active Max Protect, SPF 110
Although this sunscreen has an SPF of 10, "SPF" stands for "sun protection factor" and refers only to protection against UVB radiation, which burns the skin. The actual UVA protection factor - which shields against the radiation that penetrates your skin, accelerates skin aging and may cause cancer - may be as low as 12, according to the EWG.
Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face, SPF 50
The label says this product can protect skin for up to eight hours, but the EWG disagrees, saying the sunscreen can quickly wash off in water or run off with sweat. Regardless of what the label says, the group recommends reapplying sunscreen at least every two hours.
Rite Aid Kids Sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 45
This spray has a UVA protection so weak that it wouldn't meet European industry standards, the EWG says.
Anthony Logistics for Men Sun Stick SPF 15
The EWG says the directions for using this product are misleading, telling users to "apply to eye area" - even though the label on the back of the package advises against that.
iS SPF 20 Powder Sunscreen & Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 & colorescience Suncanny Face Colore SPF 20
These loose powder products contain particles of zinc and titanium that can offer strong UV protection for the skin but may end up in the lungs, possibly raising the risk for cancer. The EWG recommends that people stick to creams and avoid powders, pumps and sprays, saying "If there's a chance you'll breathe it, don't buy it."