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These terms are not regulated and have no legal definition. They are most often used as a marketing strategy to display a brand as more ethical or superior to others. If this is an important factor to you as a consumer, please feel free to look into the product links for more information on the individual brand.

The EWG is not a reliable, science based source for product and ingredient safety. It is an organization largely funded by organic companies and undisclosed donors, and brands must pay to receive their evaluation and certification. Their warnings have been criticized and discredited by scientists for being misleading and contributing to fear mongering in the cosmetic industry.

As an acne prone girly, I used to obsess over ingredient lists and would avoid any product that had potential to clog my pores. Since learning more about cosmetic chemistry, I have realized that the formulation of the product matters much more than each individual ingredient. A product can be comedogenic as a whole even without any comedogenic ingredients if poorly formulated. Most information about comedogenic ingredients are also based on animal studies done before 2013, with methods done on the skin of rabbit ears (I am not a rabbit). It is an unregulated term mostly used for marketing purposes. Unfortunately, the best way to test a product for comedogenicity is probably just to patch test it on yourself. Since everyone’s skin is different, this factor can vary a lot for one product, but I have included it in the user experience ratings as a consideration for others. You can also use the filter to look for sunscreens marketed for acne prone skin types by the brand.

Routine use of sunscreens (both chemical and mineral) have not been shown to cause harm in the developing human fetus. The main concern is with chemical filters (ex. oxybenzone and octinoxate) that have been identified as potential endocrine disruptors in lab and animal tests, which has resulted in a preference for mineral filters during pregnancy. Articles warning against the use of chemical sunscreens during pregnancy often cite a “study” linking the use of oxybenzone with a rare birth defect called Hirschsprung’s disease. The “study” was based on theoretical association data (not causation) and the proposed mechanism based only on lab tests. You should use whatever you’re comfortable with and consult with a healthcare professional for personalized guidance.

While this would be an amazing option to filter from, prices vary too much between currencies, retailers, and sales that it is difficult to standardize across our catalogue. Please use the purchase links to check prices of individual sunscreens.

The main causes of coral bleaching are environmental factors such as rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and climate change – not your sunscreen. Chemical filters like oxybenzone and octinoxate (and also physical filters like zinc oxide) are shown to cause coral reef damage in studies that don’t reflect levels in real life. The term “reef-safe” is not regulated and is used as a marketing strategy that actually harms conservation by taking focus away from the big picture. However, if this is an important factor for you or where you live, please look at the filters section to check product ingredients.

All sunscreens must undergo testing in order to be approved for sale. While some brands choose to release their results publicly, it does not mean products without public results are inferior.

These are not filterable because why would anyone want to use a sunscreen that causes those problems?! They are also subjective and vary between users. You can check the user experience section on the individual sunscreen to see the ratings for these details.