EWG Sets a New SPF Standard With the First Verified Sunscreen Initiative

The Environmental Working Group has launched EWG Verified Sunscreens to help consumers better identify clean and safe sunscreen products ahead of the summer season.

The new Environmental Working Group (EWG) Verified Sunscreens platform aims to transform the sunscreen industry and redefine the expectations for sunscreen safety, the EWG says.

“EWG Verified is the leading standard for healthy ingredients in personal care, and we are thrilled to bring it to the sunscreen market,” Ken Cook, President of EWG, said in a statement. “By adding 12 healthy, broad-spectrum SPF products to the expanding list of some 2,260 EWG Verified products, we’re setting a new standard for the sunscreens industry.”

EWG says the Verified Sunscreens, which launches with 12 SPF products from a range of brands, marks a new era in sunscreen safety, providing consumers with peace of mind and empowering them to make informed purchasing decisions. Inaugural products on the list come from brands including Babo Botanicals, Beautycounter, and Attitude.

The partnership between EWG and these brands highlights a shared commitment to providing safer options for consumers. EWG says the products offer effective sun protection while adhering to EWG’s stringent criteria for safety and efficacy.

woman in the sun — Courtesy Hong Nguyen | Unsplash

According to EWG, which is known for its Skin Deep ingredients safety database as well as its annual ‘Dirty Dozen’ and ‘Clean Fifteen’ pesticides on produce lists, the FDA has failed to offer consumers safety standards for sunscreens.

Homer Swei, Ph.D., EWG Senior Vice President of Healthy Living Science, says the organization’s new mark on sunscreen packaging offers consumers “a reliable and convenient way to identify best-performing products that meet EWG’s highest safety and efficacy standards.”

The EWG has been ranking sunscreens since 2006 when it released its first Guide to Sunscreens. Now with its 17th Guide, it says only 25 percent of the products it reviewed offer good broad-spectrum protection without concerning ingredients. EWG says many sunscreens on the market fall short of providing adequate protection against ultraviolet A radiation, misleading consumers with their SPF claims. The launch of EWG Verified Sunscreens addresses these concerns and establishes a gold standard in sunscreen safety.

To qualify for the EWG Verified mark, the sunscreens cannot come in aerosol or powder forms, both of which increase the risk of inhalation. All qualifying sunscreens must also carry an SPF factor between 15 and 50 to provide adequate sun protection. The EWG Verified sunscreens surpass U.S. and European standards; the European Commission recommends that the ratio of measured ultraviolet A, or UVA, protection to SPF be at least one-third.

babo sunscreen — Courtesy Babo Botanicals

“Today EWG sets a new gold standard in sunscreen safety with the launch of EWG Verified Sunscreens,” said Jocelyn Lyle, EWG’s executive vice president of mission and partnerships. “This revolutionary mark allows busy consumers to choose products that will provide them with the best sun protection.”

“The EWG Verified program is an invaluable resource for consumers and we are beyond excited that the program will now allow them to shop for sunscreens with more peace of mind,” said Adrien Dissous, senior vice president of Babo Botanicals. “It can be daunting for consumers to decipher which SPF is meeting the standards of safety and quality they expect when thousands of options are available on shelves.”

Dissous says the EWG Verified program “rightfully places the burden of proof upon brands and manufacturers” to demonstrate that their products are safe and effective “instead of leaving consumers to do the work,” he added.

“Our decades of expertise in assessing consumer products for health and safety have led us to introduce this new product category,” said Lyle. “We believe that everyone deserves access to effective sun protection without compromising their health, and this mark ensures just that.”

EWG Sets a New SPF Standard With the First Verified Sunscreen Initiative

The Environmental Working Group has launched EWG Verified Sunscreens to help consumers better identify clean and safe sunscreen products ahead of the summer season.

ATTITUDE

Babo Botanicals

Beautycounter

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