Washington, D.C.—The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its sixth annual EWG’s Skin Deep findings on the best and worst sunscreens of 2012, covering everything from sunscreens for the body and face, SPF protection in all kinds of makeup and what’s best for baby.

The sunscreens are divided into five categories: beach & sport sunscreens, lipbalms with SPF, moisturizers with SPF, makeups with SPF and low SPF sunscreens. Specific brands can be searched, but for more general browsing, the list is set up from low hazard (labeled 0-2 in green), moderate hazard (3-6 in yellow) and high hazard (7-10 in red). Some of the highest ranked products come from brands like Kiss My Face, Loving Naturals, Aubrey Organics, Adorable Baby and Badger. “Only 1 in 4 sunscreens earns high marks for safety and efficacy,” say EWG. “Products with exaggerated SPF claims above 50 still crowd out better brands, and nearly one-fourth of this year’s crop of sunscreens contains vitamin A, an additive that can accelerate the growth of skin tumors and lesions.”

Along with the complete list of 1,807 products, the best and worst are broken down into their own categories for more in-depth exploration into why the best are so good (as well as price points) and why the worst are so bad. Visit www.breakingnews.ewg.org/2012sunscreen for the complete list and additional tips and resources for summer skin protection.

EWG is a non-profit organization committed to protecting public health and the environment with public information. In addition to the Skin Deep report, EWG also provides information on toxicology/chemicals, natural resources and energy choices, as well as the EWG’s Shopper Guide to Pesticides.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, July 2012 (online 5/23/12)