The Environmental Working Group remains concerned about popular UV filter oxybenzone, anti-aging additive retinyl palmitate, "sky-high" SPFs and spray delivery formats, all of which translated to a list of "worst-scoring sunscreens for kids" in this year's edition of the NGO's shopping guide.

The focus on kids' products is new this year for EWG, whose annual "best" and "worst" sunscreen picks accompany a report on the state of the US sunscreen market and regulatory environment.

"Given their increased vulnerability to the sun’s harmful rays, we were dismayed to find so many products marketed for babies and kids that still don’t meet our standards for safety and efficacy," says EWG's Nneka Leiba, deputy director of research.

The 13 children's sunscreens named to the group's "worst" list – including offerings from Banana Boat, Coppertone and Neutrogena – were singled out for having at least "three strikes" against them:

Oxybenzone as an active ingredient
Retinyl palmitate as an inactive ingredient
SPF above 50+

Four of the 13 also lose points for being aerosols, which according to EWG can be applied unevenly, thereby exposing tots to UV rays, and pose inhalation risks to "sensitive young lungs."

"Convenient? Yes. Good for kids? Absolutely not," the NGO says in its report released May 24.

On the flip side, EWG awards its recommendation to 22 children's sunscreens based on their low hazard ranking against the NGO's criteria. The group opted not to recommend stick sunscreens, citing studies suggesting that users apply too little protection when using such formats.

EWG's enduring beef with oxybenzone is due to limited research linking the UV filter to hormonal effects and sensitization risks. According to its report, the ingredient featured in 70% of the more than 750 sunscreens the organization evaluated this year.

Retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A recognized as having anti-aging benefits, remains on the group's blacklist because isolated animal studies have documented carcinogenic effects when the ingredient is exposed to sunlight Also see "EWG Advises Against Vitamin A Compound, More Than 90% Of Sunscreens" - HBW Insight, 31 May, 2010.. EWG says use of retinyl palmitate has declined by more than half since 2010, now appearing in just 16% of surveyed products versus nearly 40% six years ago.

Aside from having FDA's backing, oxybenzone has been championed by the American Academy of Dermatology and the Skin Cancer Foundation as one of the best UV filters approved for use in the US in terms of the broad-spectrum protection it affords. According to AAD, available peer-reviewed scientific literature and regulatory assessments from national and international bodies support the ingredient's safety. Concerns raised about retinyl palmitate similarly are unfounded, the organization says.

Consumer Reports, which just released its annual sunscreen ratings, also stands behind oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate, holding that concerns about the ingredients have not been corroborated by human research and the benefits of sunscreen outweigh any such perceived risks Also see "Consumer Reports To Alert FDA: Half Of Sunscreens Perform Short Of SPF Claims" - HBW Insight, 24 May, 2016..

CR's complaint about the sunscreen market at present is that, based on its testing, claimed SPFs may misrepresent the true level of protection a consumer can expect to have. The Personal Care Products Council has questioned whether CR's methods align with FDA's prescribed approach to SPF testing.

Meanwhile, from EWG's perspective, excessively high SPFs on sunscreen products are a concern because they can instill in consumers a false sense of security that results in under-application and/or less frequent reapplication of product and longer sun exposure while being of dubious protective benefit, relatively speaking, compared with lower SPFs.

A proposed rule issued by FDA in June 2011 would cap SPFs at 50+ based on what the agency cited as a lack of evidence that SPF values above that threshold provide additional clinical benefit Also see "FDA Strengthens Sunscreen Testing And Label Requirements" - HBW Insight, 20 June, 2011..

EWG urges FDA to finalize the rule, noting that products on the US market bearing SPF integers of 70 or higher have risen from 10 in 2007 to 61 in 2016.

Meanwhile, the NGO wants to see a ban on spray sunscreens, which have increased 25% in the last decade, it says. FDA issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, also in summer 2011, soliciting safety and efficacy data on sprays to support their addition to the OTC sunscreen monograph Also see "FDA Questions Spray Sunscreen Safety, Efficacy & Monograph Status" - HBW Insight, 27 June, 2011..

The Personal Care Products Council issued a statement May 25 in response to EWG's report, taking issue with "inaccuracies" that it says could confuse and even potentially endanger public health. On the topic of spray sunscreens, the trade group says industry has submitted "significant safety and efficacy data" to FDA and that scientists and dermatologists have expressed their support for the format.

"We are confident that FDA ultimately will acknowledge the continued safe use of these products and allow these sprays to remain on the market to provide consumers with additional sunscreen choices," PCPC says.

The trade group also notes that oxybenzone "is one of the few FDA-approved ingredients that provides effective broad-spectrum protection from UV radiation, and has been approved for use since 1978."

It continues: "According to the American Academy of Dermatology, available peer-reviewed scientific literature, and regulatory assessments from national and international bodies around the world, there is no link between oxybenzone in sunscreen and hormonal alterations or any other significant health issues in humans."

Mineral Sunscreens On The Rise

Higher numbers of "mineral-only" sunscreens on the US market and sunscreens with UVA protection are among trends that EWG views as encouraging, signaling marked progress over the past decade.

The NGO reports that mineral-only sunscreens – those containing just titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide as their active ingredients – have doubled since its guide first launched in 2007, jumping from 17% to 34%.

Mineral actives reflect and scatter UV light instead of absorbing it and are praised by EWG for their stability and balance in UVA and UVB protection.

Meanwhile, 99% of products evaluated by EWG this year provide some degree of UVA defense, up 18% from 2007. The group is optimistic about the increase but maintains that UVA-protective options in the US don't measure up to those in the EU and other markets Also see "EWG's Claims About US Sunscreen Market, Skin-Cancer Prevention Analyzed" - HBW Insight, 26 May, 2016..

EWG's sunscreen evaluations can be accessed through the group's interactive online guide and Healthy Living app.

EWG's Abiding Sunscreen Concerns Cast Shadow Over 13 Kids' Formulas

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