Sunscreen gets burned

It’s the season for restocking the sunscreen supply, but which brand can you trust to do the job? The Environmental Working Group analyzes more than 1,300 products with SPF each year, and the early numbers for its annual report aren’t looking too good—nearly two-thirds of the sunscreens evaluated would not pass U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety tests. It wasn’t until recently that sunscreen ingredients were regulated, but in February the FDA called for additional testing of a dozen common ingredients after finding that some of them can enter and remain in a person’s bloodstream for at least 24 hours. Oxybenzone, for one, has been linked to low testosterone levels and damaged coral reefs. And, as for those sunscreens with an SPF in the triple digits, the FDA is looking to put a cap at 60, since there is no data to prove that anything higher increases protection. Check ewg.org/sunscreen for the updated list.