Written by Meghan O'Reilly | Edited by Zoe Siegel
As the humid temperatures begin to rise and the layers of clothing start to drop, 'tis the season to exercise credit cards and expand summer wardrobes--just in time for the 4th of July. This year, for the first time ever, the Environmental Working Group has provided every beach girl with a spending priority that comes before mosaic Missoni bikinis and straw Michael Kors beach totes. The product that can outshine even the most tan-worthy swimwear? Sunscreen, of course!
With the EWG's first-ever analysis of more than 700 name-brand sunscreens, consumers have at their hands (and eventually, their pores) an in-depth study that has ranked each sunscreen based on its chemical ingredients, sunburn prevention and long-term damage control. Many chemicals in sunscreens have been found to actually generate radicals that increase cell damage and ultimately lead to cancer. That's right: applying certain sunscreens can be just as risky as vouching sunblock abstinence. Unless you're planning on joining the mainstream vampire trend and skipping the rays completelely, go for an option that doesn't contain toxins and won't break down sunlight.
ZTrend supports the stores that carry products with the lowest-risk rating of 0-2 on the scale:
