Monday, June 29, 2009

Sunscreen safety

Summer is here, which means more time spent in the sun! Those of you who are health conscious are probably adding sunscreen to your daily skin care routine. Before you can put skin cancer on the back burner, however, be sure that your sunscreen is causing more health problems than you are trying to prevent by using it!
What you may not realize is that (based on a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group, on 1000 products) 4 out of 5 sunscreens out on the shelves at best do not have as much sun protection as the bottle claims. Many even contain ingredients that pose threat to your health ranging from allergic reactions to possibly cancer!

Some of the common problems with sunscreens include:
1. Containing of toxic chemicals
2. Breaking-down with exposure to sunlight (ironically)
3. Not protective against both UVB and UVA rays

Remember, just because the label claims it is gentle and protects all day does not mean that it's true; as there are a number of the safety criteria are not required by the FDA.

When choosing a sunscreen look for titanium dioxide or zinc oxide as the primary active ingredients. However these same ingredients in spray or powder form is to be avoided as one can easily inhale the fine particles which can cause health problems. Also be sure that neither of these ingredients are in the nano form, which means that the particles are small enough to be absorbed into the skin posing potential health issues (that are yet to be studied).

Active ingredients commonly found in sunscreens you should avoided include: octyl methoxycinnimate, oxybenzone and octisalate to name a few. For a complete list, visit the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Safety Database at:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/index.php

Choose your sunscreen carefully and enjoy the sunshine!
-Dr. Lei Gu ND