5 MIN READ
4-23-2024
Our Sunscreen Just became EWG VERIFIED® !
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Mikaela Walsh, 4ocean Research Analyst
Our sunscreen is not only safe for our oceans but safe for humans too!
How many skin care products do you use daily? The average American uses 12 personal care items every day, according to research by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Do you know how the chemicals in these products may impact your body?
With warmer weather coming over the spring and summer, sunscreen is one personal care product that people will be using more often. But some brands don’t protect well enough against the sun or might contain chemicals that have been linked to potential health harms.
The skin is the largest organ in the human body. Exposure to some chemicals in skin care products may have contributed to rising cancer rates, dropping fertility rates, and an increase in allergic reactions.
That’s why we’re proud to announce that our newest sunscreen recently earned the trusted EWG VERIFIED® mark. Products with this highly respected mark meet EWG’s strict standards for ingredient hazards and transparency, making it easier to buy safer sunscreens.
Cosmetics chemicals
Even before earning the EWG VERIFIED mark, some of Stream2Sea’s items already rated well on EWG’s Skin Deep® database, which assesses the safety of sunscreens and more than 100,000 personal care products.
EWG rates products on a scale from 1-10, with 1-2 (green) indicating lower concerns, 3-6 (orange) having moderate hazards and 7-10 (red) of the most concern. And EWG VERIFIED products go beyond just having a green score because they also consider other important factors.
The criteria for these ratings are simple: all ingredient ratings are based on more than two decades of research in chemical safety, and include scientific evidence of the health hazards linked to chemical exposure.
Cosmetics sold in the United States may contain:
- 33 ingredients banned in Canadian cosmetics.
- 85 ingredients banned in European cosmetics.
- 25 ingredients that are not allowed in hair dyes in the European Union.
- 27 ingredients that are known to California to cause cancer.
- 8 ingredients that are known to California to be developmental toxins.
EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain ingredients on the nonprofit’s unacceptable list, and adequate substantiation must be provided for including any ingredients on its restricted list. EWG also discloses its VERIFIED criteria and employs scientists to research products – including those with “fragrance.”
Fragrance is a generic term many companies list as an ingredient that hides toxic chemicals used in their personal care products. There are more than 3,500 fragrance chemicals in use today, and exposure to some of these substances can result in a wide range of health problems.
Given how little some companies reveal about these and other ingredients, consumers often look for the EWG VERIFIED mark when buying personal care products to feel safer with their choices. You won’t find mystery, potentially harmful, chemicals in items with the mark.
Safe shopping
Understanding the chemicals used in skin care products requires extensive knowledge of complex mixtures, as well as decades of research into health hazards – and that’s one area of EWG’s expertise.
Many companies label their products as “clean” or “natural,” marketing claims that aren’t legally defined. EWG is dedicated to educating the public and providing a reliable source of information for people to make informed choices regarding their skin care.
EWG’s Healthy Living app allows you to scan products to learn more about their ingredients, browse categories, create lists, and search for products all at your fingertips. EWG not only focuses on chemicals in sunscreen and other skincare but also sheds light on:
- Pollutants in tap water via the Tap Water Database.
- The composition and safety of mattresses.
- Bug repellants and House Cleaners.
- All personal care items, including fine fragrance.
- Pesticide residues on produce listed in EWG’s Dirty Dozen.
- You name it, they cover it!
EWG is a resource you can trust, and that’s why we are thrilled to announce earning the EWG VERIFIED mark for our sunscreen – it’s not only safe for coral reefs and marine life but also safer for humans.
4ocean x Stream2Sea Reef-Safe Sunscreen Balm
