Best Susncreens of 2022

Is your sunscreen safe?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its 2022 Guide to Sunscreens for more than 1,850 sunscreens, and only about one in four products met the standards for adequate sun protection and avoided ingredients linked to known health harms.

Why Does Sunscreen Safety Matter?

An FDA-led 2020 study found that some chemical sunscreen ingredients, which are systemically absorbed after one application, can stay in the blood for at least three weeks. These chemicals included avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate and octinoxate, and all six active ingredients tested absorbed into the bloodstream of humans involved the study at concentrations that surpass an important FDA safety threshold.

On average, U.S. sunscreens allow about three times more UVA rays to transfer through skin compared with European sunscreens. UVA rays are more abundant than UVB rays and can suppress the immune system and age the skin over time. Overexposure of UVA rays are linked to the development of melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma.

Best Sunscreens for Recreation

The EWG recommends sunscreens with the mineral active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are the only two ingredients the FDA recognizes as safe or effective in their proposed draft rules.

Some of the most highly rated sunscreens that meet these criteria for safety and effectiveness are:

• 365 Everyday Value Mineral Sunscreen Sport Lotion, SPF 30
• 3rd Rock Sunblock Sunscreen Lotion, Aromatherapeutic, SPF 35
• ATTITUDE Mineral Sunscreen, Fragrance Free, SPF 30
• All Good Sunstick, Unscented, SPF 30
• All Good Sunscreen Butter, 50+
• Badger Active Mineral Sunscreen Cream, SPF 30
• Badger Sport Mineral Sunscreen Cream, SPF 40
• Black Girl Sunscreen Melanin Boosting Mosturizing Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Block Island Organics Natural Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Butterbean Organics Original Healthy Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• C’est Moi GENTLE Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Earth Mama Tinted Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 25 & 40
• Eco Logical Skin Care All Natural Face Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+
• Eleven By Venus Williams On-The-Defense Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Erbaviva Organic Skincare Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Erin’s Faces Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, Body, SPF 32
• Green Goo Solar Goo Sunscreen, SPF 30
• Just Skin Food Natural & Organic Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
• Kabana Organic Skincare Green Screen Sunscreen Lotion, Original, SPF 32
• Kabana Organic Skincare Green Screen D Sunscreen Lotion, Original, SPF 35
• Ke Ko Organics Ko’a Sun Cream, Tinted, SPF 31
• Laguna Herbals Face & Body Sunscreen Stick, Coconut, SPF 30
• Love Sun Body Sheer Perfection Mineral Body Sunscreen, Fragrance-Free, SPF 30
• Loving Naturals Clear Body Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+
• Maui Natural Organics All Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30,
• Nuori Mineral Defence Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Olita Mineral Sunscreen Sunstick, SPF 30
• Pacific Beach Organics Riptide Sunscreen Lotion, Tinted, SPF 32
• Poofy Organics The Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Rocket Pure Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Raw Elements Face + Body Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Sea Kind Alive Reef Safe Sunscreen, SPF 30
• Star Naturals Natural Sunscreen Stick, SPF 25
• Summer Lotion Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• SunBioLogic Kids Natural Zinc Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+
• Suntegrity Natural Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, Sport, SPF 30
• Suntribe Kids Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, Vanilla Yum Yum, SPF 30
• Sunumbra Classic Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Think Sunscreen Lotion, Aloe + Tea Leaves, SPF 30
• thinksport Body & Face Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
• thinksport Kids Body & Face Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
• Thrive Market Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 30
• Two Peas Organics Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• UV Natural Sport Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+
• Waxhead Sun Defense Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
• Waxhead Sun Defense Skin Nourishing Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 32

Best Baby Sunscreens

The top EWG picks for baby and child-friendly sunscreens are:

• 3rd Rock Sunblock Sunscreen Lotion, Infant, SPF 35
• Adorable Baby Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30+
• All Good Kid’s Sunscreen Butter Stick, SPF 50+
• ATTITUDE Baby & Kids Sunscreen Lotion, Fragrance Free, SPF 30
• Badger Baby Active Sunscreen Cream, Chamomile & Calendula, SPF 40
• California Baby Everyday/Year-Round Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30+
• California Baby Super Sensitive Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30+
• Earth Mama Baby Baby Face Mineral Sunscreen Face Stick, SPF 40
• Earth Mama Baby Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 40
• Earth Mama Kids Uber-Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 40
• Erbaviva Organic Skincare Baby Sun Stick, Lavender Chamomile, SPF 30
• Erbaviva Organic Skincare Baby Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Just Skin Food Baby Beach Bum Sunscreen Stick, SPF 31
• Olita Kids Mineral Sunscreen Sunstick, SPF 30
• Raw Elements Baby + Kids Sunscreen Lotion Tin, SPF 30
• Raw Elements Baby + Kids Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
• Star Naturals Baby Natural Sunscreen Stick, SPF 25
• thinkbaby Body & Face Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
• thinksport Kids Body & Face Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30
• TruBaby Water & Play Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+
• Trukid Eczema Daily Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
• Tubby Todd Bath Co Baby Mineral Sunstick, SPF 30
• UV Natural Baby Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+
• Waxhead Sun Defense Baby Zinc Oxide Vitamin E + D Enriched Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 35

Sunscreens to Avoid

EWG recommends avoiding all spray sunscreens, as they are difficult to apply evenly, and the ingredients haven’t been tested in the aerosol capacity for long-term impact on human health.

Last year, spray sunscreens contaminated with benzene, a known carcinogen, led to a sunscreen recall of 14 popular products. An independent analysis found the problem is even more widespread.

Other worst offenders (which scored in the Red Zone with a score of 10 for major safety concerns) include:

• Walgreens Dry Touch Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100
• Panama Jack Sunscreen Continuous Spray, SPF 100
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 85+
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100+
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+
• Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 60+
• Neutrogena Beach Defense Water + Sun Protection Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 70
• Equate Beauty Ultra Light Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100
• CVS Health Ultra Sheer Lotion, SPF 100
• COOLA Classic Body Sunscreen Spray, Peach Blossom, SPF 70
• Banana Boat Ultra Sport Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100
• Banana Boat Ultra Defense Clear Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100
• Banana Boat Kids MAX Clear Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100
• Australian Gold Botanical Natural Sunscreen Spray, SPF 70

EWG also recommends 37 lip balms with SPF that met its criteria.

There is no perfect sunscreen, and no product will last on your skin for longer than two hours. Make sure to thickly apply sunscreen coatings, reapply every time you’re out of the water, and don’t solely rely on sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun. It’s also important to wear sunglasses, hats and clothing to shield yourself from the sun, stay in the shade when possible, and avoid the midday sun.