A new study from the Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals has identified suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in sunscreens. However, it also revealed that safer options are available.

The Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals scrutinised the ingredient lists of 52 sunscreens and ranked the products based on their chemical content. All of the sunscreens tested were purchased in the spring of 2024 from the Danish market, and their ingredient lists were confirmed by the manufacturers.

22 of the sunscreens did not contain any unwanted chemicals and received the highest A-rating.

However, 20 of the sunscreens were found to contain suspected endocrine disruptors or other problematic chemicals and were therefore given the lowest C-rating. This includes popular sunscreens from brands such as Nivea, Bondi Sands and Clarins.

EDCs are chemicals that disrupt the body’s sensitive hormone system. The endocrine (hormone) system controls key functions such as growth and brain development. Exposure to EDCs has been linked to numerous health impacts such as reproductive issues, obesity, and hormone related cancers, including breast and testicular.

EDCs can be found in many everyday consumer products such as cosmetics, clothing, and toys.

While it is not possible to completely avoid EDCs in everyday life, picking a sunscreen without these potentially harmful substances may help to lower your overall exposure. We are constantly exposed to a complex cocktail of known and suspected harmful chemicals from multiple sources, including air, water, food and everyday products. Current regulations fail to sufficiently protect people and the environment from this combined exposure effect. Read more about the cocktail effect in our report ‘Chemical Cocktails: The neglected threat of toxic mixtures and how to fix it’.

However, the Danish Consumer Council THINK emphasises the importance of wearing sunscreen regardless of the chemicals. For more information on staying safe in the sun, read the World Health Organisation’s advice.

CHEM Trust, alongside other NGOs, is calling on EU authorities and the UK government to protect people from harmful chemicals by introducing robust legislation to phase out the most harmful chemicals from consumer products by 2030. You can find advice on reducing your risk of exposure to harmful chemicals in toiletries, cosmetics and menstrual products on our Reduce Your Risk webpage.

Read which products were ranked ‘A’ and ‘C’ here.

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