These Are the 20 Safest Sunscreens of 2021, According to EWG’s Annual Sunscreen Guide

Did your favorite make the cut?

By Danielle Fontana Dooley, Associate Director, Digital Content · Published: May 4, 2021

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Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases its Guide to Sunscreens, which lists the safest and most effective sun-care formulas on the market. After testing more than 1,800 SPF products including sunscreens, moisturizers and lip balms, this year’s report reveals a particularly shocking stat: Only a mere “25 percent of products offer adequate protection and do not contain worrisome ingredients,” notes the report.

The Group looks for a number of things while testing, ranking each formula on a scale of 1–10 (1 being the best), but primarily focuses on the presence of harmful ingredients such as oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A that causes increased sun sensitivity.

While three quarters of the products evaluated were deemed unsafe for use—EWG states these “did not provide adequate sun protection or included ingredients linked to harm”—there are still hundreds of great options to choose from. Here, the top 10 formulas that earned the ultimate stamp of approval.

Beekman 1802 Milk Primer SPF 35 ($25)

Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 ($30)

Beautycounter Countersun Daily Sheer Defense for Face SPF 25 ($42)

Solara Suncare Clean Freak Nutrient Boosted Daily Sunscreen, Unscented, SPF 30 ($28)

Ao Skincare 6000X Elemental Sunscreen, SPF 30 ($45)

White & Elm Everyday SPF 15 ($29)

Biossance Squalane + Mineral SPF 45 ($42)

Solara Suncare Time Traveler Ageless Daily Face Sunscreen, Unscented, SPF 30 ($42)

Solara Suncare Clean Freak Nutrient Boosted Daily Sunscreen, Naturally Scented, SPF 30 ($28)

Keys KPRO Tinted Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 30+ ($30)

Loving Naturals Daily UV Cream, Unscented SPF 20 ($24)

Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer SPF 30 ($32)