Test shows: 30 sunscreens are free of unwanted chemicals
You have plenty of good options if you're looking for a sunscreen without a range of problematic chemicals. In our annual chemical assessment, 30 out of 50 sunscreens are free of unwanted chemicals.
Summer is here, and it's important to protect your skin with sunscreen. The best sunscreen is the one you actually use. Regardless of its ingredients, sunscreen is an essential part of your daily sun protection routine.
However, sunscreen ingredients vary considerably, and it can be difficult to understand what's in each product. That's why we reviewed the ingredient lists of 50 sunscreens to determine whether any of the hundreds of ingredients with long chemical names are allergenic, environmentally harmful, or Suspected endocrine disruptors. This makes it easier to choose which sunscreen you want to apply to your skin.
This assessment does not evaluate how well the sunscreens perform or whether they contain contaminants that are not listed on the ingredient label.
Key findings from the sunscreen chemical assessment
- Most sunscreens are free of unwanted chemicals and receive the highest rating, the a-rating.
- Many sunscreens with an a-rating also carry environmental or allergy certifications.
- Almost all of the top chemical choices are from Danish brands.
These sunscreens are free of unwanted chemicals
In this assessment, 30 sunscreens receive the highest rating, the a-rating, because they are free of a range of unwanted chemicals.
Twenty-two of the 30 sunscreens carry an allergy and/or environmental certification, including Allergy Certified, Asthma Allergy Nordic, and the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
Twenty-five of the 30 sunscreens with an a-rating are from Danish brands.
UV filter with potential contamination
The UV filter DHHB (Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate) is used in many sunscreens. In recent years, however, it has emerged that DHHB may be contaminated with the phthalate DnHexP—a Suspected endocrine disruptor that is prohibited for use in cosmetics in the EU.
The substance is not intentionally added but may occur as a by-product during manufacturing. German investigations have shown that this unwanted contamination is present in some products but not others, demonstrating that it can be avoided.
The Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals has closely monitored this issue since the German study was published and has been in dialogue with authorities, industry representatives, manufacturers, and environmental certification organizations to help ensure that effective measures are introduced as quickly as possible to limit contamination.
The EU has now established a maximum limit of 10 ppm DnHexP in DHHB for new products, which will take effect in 2027. This is also why we continue to award the a-rating to products containing DHHB, which is widely used in sunscreens, including products with and without environmental certifications.
Until the new rules take effect, we asked all manufacturers of the sunscreens in our assessment that contain DHHB what level of purity they can guarantee and whether they already comply with the upcoming legislation.
Several companies state that they guarantee contamination levels below 1 ppm—ten times lower than the future legal limit of 10 ppm. Several companies also guarantee contamination levels below 0.2 ppm, which is another five times lower than that threshold.
Several of these products also carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Ecolabelling Denmark states that the DHHB used in Nordic Swan-certified sunscreens contains less than 1 ppm contamination, which is well below the upcoming limit.
A few manufacturers did not respond to our inquiries, so we do not know the exact contamination level in those products.
The sunscreens' UV protection was not evaluated
This is a chemical assessment in which we examined sunscreen ingredient lists for chemicals that are, for example, Suspected endocrine disruptors, allergens, or environmentally harmful.
The ability of sunscreens to protect against UVA and UVB radiation is evaluated separately in laboratory testing.
Eight tips for sun protection
- Avoid direct sun exposure between 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., when UV radiation is strongest.
- Shade, clothing, and a sun hat provide excellent sun protection without problematic chemicals.
- Children are particularly vulnerable to sun exposure. Children under one year of age should always stay in the shade. Older children should also rely primarily on shade and protective clothing rather than sunscreen alone.
- Use the right SPF. The Danish Health Authority recommends at least SPF 30, both in Denmark and in countries with stronger sunlight. Remember to use extra protection when you are in or near the water.
- Apply a generous handful of sunscreen to cover the entire body. Spread it evenly and apply it in multiple layers to ensure sufficient, even protection.
- Reapply sunscreen regularly, especially after sweating, swimming, towel drying, or any activity that removes sunscreen from the skin.
- It is always better to use a sunscreen containing unwanted chemicals than to get sunburned.