GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A new study by the Environmental Working Group shows that only about 20% of the sunscreens we use are safe and effective. So, what do you need to look for to protect your skin this summer?

“One of the things you see right on the (store) shelf is SPF, the sun protection factor. That’s telling you how well the sunscreen works against UVB or burning rays that hit you from the sun,” Dr. Stephen Cahill from Dermatology Associates of West Michigan said.

Cahill said that most dermatologists will recommend using an SPF between 30 and 50.

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“Some caveats to that are, as you look at some of the sunscreens that are independently tested, they may not work as effectively as they are saying, and that is what this EWG group is highlighting,” he explained.

Other things to look for include broad-spectrum coverage to protect against UVB and UVA rays, which cause aging and cancer. Cahill said water-resistant sunscreen is also good to make sure you don’t sweat the product off.

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There are two types of sunscreens: mineral sunscreens and chemical sunscreens.

“That EWG, the Environmental Working Group, they talk a lot about physical blockers (the mineral sunscreens), which are zinc and titanium, and these are reflectors that reflect the sun back,” Cahill said.

He explained that they are not absorbed into your system like chemical sunscreens.

“Some of the chemicals, there’s concerns about potential hormone disruptors in the chemicals, and so physical blockers will be really hot this summer,” he said.

Mineral sunscreens tend to be more whitening. Cahill said that tinted versions are available.

View which products EWG recommends and see what it says about your go-to sunscreen here.