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Sunscreen… does it really work or just poison your children

Written by Concerned

Over 10,000 people die of skin cancer in the U.S. every year. While there are several different types of skin cancers, each with different risk factors and prognoses, exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun increases the risk of all of them. Ultraviolet light has also been associated with serious health problems aside from cancer, such as cataracts and immune suppression. And, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 90 percent of the visible signs of aging are caused by sunlight. Protecting yourself from excessive exposure to the sun, therefore, is common sense.

To most Americans, sun protection means tossing a bottle of sunscreen in your beach bag. But not all sunscreens are created equal.

But some groups, such as the American College of Preventive Medicine, have called into question claims that sunscreen is all it’s chalked up to be. They point out that the evidence supporting sunscreen’s cancer-preventive capability is incomplete, especially with regard to malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.

Personal Health Issues

There are two different types of active sunscreen ingredients: chemical UV absorbers (which absorb rays that come in contact with skin) and physical UV blockers (which reflect rays before they can do any damage).

Most of the health concerns around sunscreens have to do with the chemical UV absorbers. Many have been found to act like estrogen in the body: benzophenone, oxybenzone, octinoxate (also called octyl methoxycinnamate) and homosalate are all chemical sunscreens to avoid for this reason. In a 2004 Environmental Health Perspective study, another sunscreen chemical, Padimate O, was found to cause breast cancer cells to multiply in test tubes. Benzophenone may also cause allergic reactions, and all of these chemical sunscreen ingredients have been found to increase skin absorption of pesticides on people who were wearing them during pesticide application.

There’s also evidence that the chemical Avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789) degrades quickly when exposed to sunlight, and according to a 2007 report from the Environmental Working Group, many chemical sunscreens break down is as little as 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight.

Along with all the active chemical ingredients, sunscreens also contain many ingredients listed on our “Dirty Dozen” list of chemicals to avoid. Allergenic synthetic dyes and fragrances that contain hormone-disrupting phthalates are common, as are parabens (preservatives that also act like estrogen in the body) and urea preservatives that emit formaldehyde as they break down.

Environmental Issues

The same chemicals that interfere with human hormones were recently found to cause bleaching and death of corals. Seventy-eight million tourists visit areas with coral reefs every year, leaving behind 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen-and because many sunscreens are petroleum-based, they don’t break down quickly in water. An April 2008 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives revealed that, when exposed to benzophenone or cinnamate-based sunscreens, coral developed viral infections that led to bleaching. The same happened when coral were exposed to paraben preservatives.

What to Look For

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers in the U.S., and as many as one million people are diagnosed with it every year. Despite these high numbers, skin cancer is preventable with proper protection.

Mineral Ingredients

Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are minerals that physically block ultraviolet (UV) rays from reaching your skin, as opposed to other sunscreens that use chemicals to absorb UV rays. Minerals are considered the best protection against sunburn because they block both UVB rays (which cause sunburns) and UVA rays (which cause skin aging and cancer). Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, don’t always protect against UVA. And some break down in sunlight in as little as half an hour, while also interfering with your hormonal systems (see The Backstory).

All the sunscreens listed on our Product Comparisons page use either titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or a combination of both. None contain chemical sunscreens.

Protection Rating

SPF (or sun protection factor) is an FDA-regulated rating system that represents how long it will take for exposed skin to burn with the sunscreen applied. For example, if your unprotected skin usually burns in 10 minutes, a sunscreen with an SPF 15 would prevent a sunburn for 15 times that length of time, or 150 minutes (two and a half hours). However, SPF only rates UVB rays, not skin damaging UVA rays. For that reason, never rely entirely on a sunscreen’s SPF, and look for products that advertise “broad-spectrum protection,” which means it protects against both types of rays.

Fabrics and sun-protective clothing are rated according to UPF (ultraviolet protection factor), which measures how well these items prevent sunburn in the same way that SPF does. While UPF does apply to both UVA and UVB rays, UPF claims aren’t federally regulated, as SPF ratings are.

Nano-sized or Micronized Particles?

The primary drawback to sunscreens with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide is that they can leave a white tint on your skin. To make the lotions transparent, manufacturers shrink titanium dioxide or zinc oxide particles down to nano-sized particles–less than 100 nanometers (nm); for comparison, a human hair is about 80,000 nm in diameter. Because smaller particles can act differently than larger particles when they enter the body, these nano-sized particles have been cause for concern: Research indicates that nanoparticles of titanium dioxide are small enough to bypass your body’s “blood-brain barrier” (a natural defense against foreign substances in the bloodstream) and enter the brain where they can damage brain cells. Larger particles, however, are blocked by that barrier and don’t pose this problem. Fortunately, a 2006 Australian government literature review on the topic found that neither titanium dioxide nor zinc oxide penetrate the skin deep enough to actually enter the bloodstream, and most scientific evidence supports the fact that nano-sized particles of these ingredients are often trapped in the outer layer of the skin and not absorbed (they should always be avoided when used in powders that may be inhaled). However, if you’d rather err on the side of safety, opt for sunscreens that use micronized ingredients (particles larger than 100 nm), which are mostly transparent but may still offer a slight tint.

Safe Use Tips

No sunscreen will block 100 percent of the sun’s rays, but smart and regular application will reduce your risk of sunburns and UV damage.

Apply sunscreen generously to exposed skin at least 30 minutes before going out into the sun, and use 1 ounce (enough to fill a shot glass).
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends reapplying sunscreen every two hours, regardless of SPF.
“Waterproof” and “water resistant” claims aren’t regulated and are often inaccurate. Always reapply lotions after getting out of the water, toweling off or sweating heavily.
Don’t forget to cover sensitive areas like the ears and feet.
Avoid using sunscreens on children younger than 6 months, unless there is no other way to protect them. Keep them out of the sun, instead, to prevent burns and overheating.
If you’re swimming in the ocean, choose sunscreens with plant-based ingredients to avoid damaging coral (see The Backstory)

Shade and Clothing

Avoiding sunlight during peak sun hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) is the best way to defend yourself, but that’s not always possible, nor is it much fun. Clothes provide a more consistent level of protection than even the best sunscreens, but some weaves and fabrics offer more protection than others:

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the tighter the weave and the darker the color of a garment, the higher the SPF protection. (If you can see through it, it probably isn’t doing a great job of blocking UV rays.)
Opt for organic or unbleached cottons; bleaching can destroy a fabric’s integrity.
Tightly woven cotton, wool and even polyester offer better protection than thinner fabrics, such as linen, acetate and rayon.
Most fabrics lose their ability to protect when wet.
A wide-brimmed hat affords much more coverage than a baseball hat.
Protect your eyes with sunglasses that have UV protection. The Mayo Clinic recommends photochromic lenses, which reduce glare, sun and UV radiation without reducing visual acuity or distorting color.

For a list of comparisons on sunscreens.. click here

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