Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.

By Harlan Levy

Obviously itʼs hot as hell outside – so hot that I wonʼt walk my 13½-year-old dog Latke on our usual two-thirds of a mile daily stroll until dark when, or if, it cools down.

Meanwhile, when we are out and about, doing errands or playing tennis or swimming, we are dedicated sunscreen users. The only question is what sunscreen products are best. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group has answers in its newly published Annual Guide to Sunscreens. [See review of EWG at end]

Before listing EWGʼs lists of best sunscreens for kids and adults, some facts from EWGʼs report:

• UV radiation is made up of two types of UV light: UVA rays and UVB rays. Exposure to both UVA and UVB rays puts you at risk for skin cancer. UVA rays have a longer wavelength and are linked more with skin aging. UVB rays have a shorter wavelength and are linked with skin burning. Both can be extremely damaging to your skin, causing sunburn, skin aging, and increased skin cancer risk.
• Therefore, the EWG says, you should opt for broad-spectrum sunscreens with a high SPF. Broad-spectrum sunscreens block both UVA and UVB rays and provides the best sun protection. The ingredients EWG recommends to look for in sunscreens are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are derived from naturally occurring minerals. Contrary to chemical sunscreen ingredients that work by penetrating the skin and absorbing UV rays, mineral sunscreen ingredients work by reflecting away UV rays from skin’s surface.
• But donʼt assume that the higher the SPF the more protection you get.

SPF, or Sun Protection Factor, blocks UVB rays and measures time, not the strength of protection. It does not get stronger with higher numbers. It’s how long it delays the burn. It tells you how much longer your skin can handle sun exposure before burning, compared to not wearing any sunscreen.

SPF 30 blocks about 97% of UVB rays. SPF 50 blocks about 98%. SPF 100 blocks about 99%. The difference from 30 to 50 is only 1%, and from 50 to 100, it’s even smaller.

So, while higher SPF offers slightly more protection, the difference is minimal.

You get most of the protection with SPF 30 or 50.

“In real life, products with very high SPFs often create a false sense of security,” the Skin Cancer Foundation said. “People who use them tend to stay out in the sun much longer. They may skip reapplying. And they may think they don’t need to seek shade, wear a hat, or cover up with clothing. They end up getting a lot more UV damage, which, of course, defeats the purpose.”

Broad-Spectrum Protection: It protects against both UVA and UVB. So, don’t just focus on the SPF number. Make sure your sunscreen says “broad-spectrum” on the label.

Regardless of the SPF measurement, it’s important to keep reapplying your sunscreen every couple of hours, and even more often if you’ll be spending the day swimming.

Here are EWGʼs top-rated sunscreens for kids:

• Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Mineral Sunscreen Stick, SPF 50. $14.50 on Amazon
• Sunly Kids Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30, $15.89 on Amazon
• Mustela Mineral Sunscreen Stick, face, body, $13.49 from CVS, Amazon
• Happy Ocean Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, Kids, SPF 45, $19.40, Amazon
• Badger Kids Mineral Face Sunscreen stick, tangerine & vanilla, SPF 35, $10.99, Walmart, Amazon
• Stream2Sea EcoStick Sunscreen Stick for kids, SPF 35+, $14.85, Amazon
• Thinkbaby Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30, $8.94, Amazon
• Blue Lizard Kids Mineral Sunscreen stick, SPF 50+, $8.77 from Walmart and Amazon, $9.99 from CVS
• Raw Elements Baby + Kids Sunscreen stick, SPF 30, $15.99 (Target), $15.95 (Amazon)
• TruKid Daily Sunscreen Lotion, Light Citrus, SPF 30, $18.99, Target, Amazon

EWGʼs top-rated sunscreens for adults:

• Sunly Mineral Sunscreen Stick, SPF 30, $18.37, Amazon
• Babo Botanicals Sheer Zinc Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30, $13.78, Walmart, $18, Amazon
• Happy Ocean Water Sport Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30, $15.44, Amazon
• Mustela Mineral Sunscreen Stick, Face and Body, SPF 50, $10.89, Walmart, Target, Amazon
• Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense Sport Superfruit Body Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50, $19.99, Target
• Stream2Se EcoStick Sport Sunscreen Stick, SPF 35+, $14.99, Walmart, $15.75, Amazon
• Thinksport Clear Zinc Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50, $14.96, Walmart, $17.50, Amazon

Remember: Sunscreens only last a few hours. So, diligently reapply it.

EWG review

EWG has been viewed generally favorably, with the following caveats: There are concerns that the EWG Verified program is a marketing tool for companies that pay to participate. Some critics question the scientific rigor of EWG’s assessments and point to instances where they have used cherry-picked data to support their narrative. In conclusion: The EWG plays a significant role in providing information about potentially harmful chemicals in consumer products and advocating for environmental health. However, it’s important to be aware of the criticisms and potential biases associated with their work, and to critically evaluate the information they provide.

Bad news

The Senate on Tuesday narrowly approved the budget reconciliation bill, which included a provision that cuts the funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau nearly in half. The deep cut in funding will significantly undermine the CFPB’s ability to protect consumers and hold big banks and predatory lenders accountable when they break the law and treat consumers unfairly. Now it’s up to the House to reassert the funding.

Blueberries

You may already know that if you dump blueberries into a bowl of water the best ones sink and the questionable ones float – the opposite of what happens when you’re in a pool.

Now you know.

NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected] (“Consumer” in subject line), and, with the power of the press, maybe I can help.

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