Beach Boy by Flickr User chimothy27,
CC BY 2.0.

“We need more sunscreen,” calls my husband as I’m leaving for work the other morning.  “What should I buy?”

Oh, dear, thought this DC Green Living Examiner. I don’t have time to figure out which sunscreen brands are safe, effective, and don’t contain unnecessary ingredients in the two minutes I have left before I must be out the door.

With more than a million cases and counting of skin cancer diagnosed every year, sun protection is a serious issue. 

Unfortunately, three out of five sun blocks don’t work or contain hazardous ingredients according to a recent study by the Environmental Working Group. Several well known brands rate very poorly in EWG's analysis for health hazard or poor sun protection.

Now, I don’t want to go slapping questionable chemicals on my toddler's (or my own) skin and I certainly don’t want to risk sunburns that could set her up for skin cancer down the road.  So what’s an eco-friendly mom to do?

It’s actually a tough question. Many of the top-rated sunscreens on EWG's list are hard to find. They are available online but some are quite expensive (then you add shipping).

Earlier this spring took the following steps, which my husband repeated this week:

1. Consult the EWG list of top beach sun blocks and Skin Deep database of cosmetic safety;
2. Make a list of brands that fit our comfort level for safe and effective sunscreen and our budget constraints;
3. Go to the store and read labels.

We ended up with the Blue Lizard brand sunscreen because it rated well for effectiveness and safety, is not too expensive, and, importantly, is available at CVS.  I've since been told that Vanicream brand sunscreens which rated among EWG's top sun block performers is available at Tschiffly Pharmacy downtown. 

Know of a local source for any of the top rated sunscreens? Have an opinion on this topic? I'd love to hear it so please leave a comment below.