There are currently 17 active ingredients approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used in sunscreens.

The following table lists these ingredients and includes information regarding the type and amount of protection they provide.

Chemical	Amount of Protection		Chemical (C) or Physical (P)
	UVA	UVB
Aminobenzoic acid (PABA)	Minimal	Extensive	C
Avobenzone	Extensive	Limited	C
Cinoxate	Limited	Extensive	C
Dioxybenzone	Considerable	Extensive	C
Ecamsule	Extensive	Limited	C
Homosalate	Minimal	Extensive	C
Menthyl anthranilate	Considerable	Extensive	C
Octocrylene	Limited	Extensive	C
Octyl methoxycinnamate	Limited	Extensive	C
Octyl salicylate	Minimal	Extensive	C
Oxybenzone	Considerable	Extensive	C
Padimate O	Minimal	Extensive	C
Phenylbenzimidazole	Minimal	Extensive	C
Sulisobenzone	Considerable	Extensive	P
Titanium dioxide	Considerable	Extensive	P
Trolamine salicylate	Minimal	Extensive	C
Zinc Oxide	Extensive	Extensive	P

Source: www.epa.com

Avoid Oxybenzone

Oxybenzone is the most common active ingredient in sunscreen, found in approximately 60 percent of sunscreens on the market today. Experts have raised concerns about its use in sunscreens for children because of its ability to penetrate the skin, cause allergic reactions, and potentially act as a hormone disruptor.

Choosing the Best Sunscreen

Given all of these concerns about ingredients, it can be quite challenging for parents to choose a safe sunscreen product for their children.  Environmental Working Group has just released its 2011 Sunscreen Guide (http://www.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/) that ranks about 1,400 sunscreens based on their safety (toxicity level) and effectiveness to protect against the sun’s harmful rays. This is one resource that parents can turn to before purchasing sunscreen.  

For children over 6 months, apply sunscreen with SPF of at least 15. Look for broad-spectrum sunscreens that protect from both UVA and UVB rays. Remember to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours, or immediately after swimming or sweating.

Back: Sunscreen Ingredients Explained

By Sandi Schwartz - Science writer and mom

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