Choosing the Best Sunscreens—and Avoiding the Worst

It's sunscreen shopping season and the just-released 2012 Sunscreen Guide published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) helps steer consumers toward healthy, affordable choices. This year's guide rates over 1,800 sunscreens (for both adults and kids), lip balms, and moisturizers and cosmetics with SPF. The leading cause of skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and, according to the National Cancer Institute, over one million people are diagnosed a year.

Often people grab whatever sunscreen is labeled with the highest SPF and assume it's the best. The EWG guide warns shoppers that choosing a safe product isn't just about the numbers. Their research spotlights potential health hazards:

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