Choosing the right sunscreen for your kid is no easy feat, especially when there are dozens of options to choose from.
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But according to a new study, nearly three quarters of products on the market don't even work.
For their 11th annual sunscreen guide, researchers at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group evaluated the UV-ray protections, toxic ingredients and other health hazards in approximately 900 sunscreens, 500 SPF-labeled moisturizers and more than 100 lip products.
The group found 73 percent of the 880 tested sunscreens either contained “worrisome” ingredients or didn’t work as well as advertised.
Of the 239 beach and sport sunscreens given a green rating by EWG scientists, 49 products specifically marketed toward children (using terms such as “baby,” “kids,” “pediatric,” etc.), earned the highest EWG score (1).
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If brands had multiple products with a score of 1, the researchers selected one for the list, prioritizing the fragrance-free versions, water resistant or “sport” formulations, because those tend to last longer on the skin.
Here are the 19 best-rated sunscreens, according to EWG:
- Adorable Baby Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+
- All Good Kid's Sunscreen, SPF 30
- All Terrain KidSport Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
- Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sensitive Skin Lotion Sunscreen, SPF 50
- Babytime! by Episencial Sunny Sunscreen, SPF 35
- Badger Baby Sunscreen Cream, SPF 30
- Bare Republic Baby Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50
- Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen Baby, SPF 30+
- BurnOut KIDS Sunscreen, SPF 35
- California Baby Super Sensitive Sunscreen, SPF 30+
- Caribbean Sol Sol Kid Kare, SPF 30
- Goddess Garden Organics Baby Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
- Kiss My Face Organics Kids Sunscreen, SPF 30
- Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Sunscreen, SPF 50
- Sunology Natural Sunscreen Kids, SPF 50
- Sunumbra Sunkids Natural Sunscreen, SPF 40
- ThinkSport Kids Sunscreen, SPF 50+
- Tom's of Maine Baby Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
- TruKid Sunny Days Sport Sunscreen, SPF 30
More about each product listed and its calculated score at EWG.org.
To read more about EWG.org and its platform to battle chemicals in everyday products, the food you consume and the water you drink, click here.
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