75% of Sunscreens Fail to Deliver

Three in four sunscreens sold in the US fail to deliver safe and effective protection against harmful solar rays, according to a new report, offering advice on how to spot the ones that do the job they're supposed to without exposing people or the environment to harmful chemicals. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzed more than 2,200 sunscreens for its 2025 Sunscreen Guide, coming up with nearly 500 products it recommends to consumers, divided into lists, including for daily use, recreational use, and kids and babies, per CNN. (You can shop the products here.) They lack the hazardous chemicals often found in sunscreen and provide balanced protection against both UVA and UVB rays, both of which damage the DNA in skin cells.

While mineral sunscreens create a barrier on the skin that physically blocks the sun's rays, chemical sunscreens are designed to soak into the skin and absorb UV radiation. But the chemical ingredients have been found to reach the bloodstream in unsafe levels that can remain elevated for weeks after use, CNN reports. These chemicals—including oxybenzone, an endocrine disruptor, linked to hormone changes in men and shorter pregnancies among women—also enter waterways, threatening marine life and coral reefs. A 2016 study found oxybenzone made coral more vulnerable to bleaching, as the New York Times reports.

Though it was once found in 70% of nonmineral sunscreens, oxybenzone was in only 9% of products the EWG analyzed. Far more common was the FDA-approved mineral sunscreen ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. "Of the 2,217 products we tested for this year's report, 43% use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, up from just 17% in 2007," David Andrews, EWG's acting chief science officer, tells CNN. "That's good news for consumers and the environment." However, there's also evidence that UV filters in mineral sunscreens, often advertised as "reef safe," have the potential to harm wildlife at high concentrations, the Times reports, noting that covering your skin with clothing is, in fact, "the best form of sun protection." (More sunscreen stories.)