21 Of The Best NATURAL Sunscreens

Updated for 2010! These safe sunscreens not only protect your skin from sun damage and cancer, but also come free of suspect chemicals, like parabens, oxybenzone, PABA and retinyl palmitate. Free yourself to enjoy the outdoors!

Sunscreen – not only does it protect you from skin damage and sunburn, but it’s also a valuable weapon in the fight against skin cancer.

Unfortunately, too often, people use too little, or the wrong kind, and end up doing more damage. And while the FDA is finally putting into place federal sunscreen regulations, you won't be seeing products approved to more-strict FDA standards until 2012. That’s why it’s critical that you think about and research the creams you put on your skin, just as you would the food you put in your body.

This year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) looked at more than 1,400 skincare products including 500 sunscreens specifically designed for sport and beach use. What the EWG found was shocking: around 60 percent of those 500 sunscreens contain oxybenzone – a potentially harmful hormone-disrupting compound that penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. The EWG also warns against sunscreens containing retinyl palmitate, a type of vitamin A found in 41 percent of sunscreens. The FDA is investigating whether retinyl palmitate accelerates skin damage and increases skin cancer risk when applied to skin exposed to sunlight.

According to the Environmental Working Group's 2010 study only 8 percent - or 39 - of the 500 sunscreens tested are recommended. Of those, we’ve narrowed down the 21 best listed, based on efficacy and purity of ingredients.

And remember, a sky-high SPF doesn’t necessarily guarantee better protection. The FDA says that claims of SPF of more than 50 cannot be substantiated.

For The Complete List Click Here