Is Your Sunscreen Providing Enough Protection?

Are You REALLY Protecting Your Skin?

A recent study from the Environmental Working Group caught my attention in a big way.   According the EWG, a nonprofit organization dedicated protecting public health and the environment with research and public information, many of the top sunscreens we depend on to protect our health may be causing us more harm than good in some cases.

How is this possible? In their comprehensive 2010 Sunscreen Guide the EWG researchers took issue with a surge in exaggerated SPF claims (above 50).  The group reports that the higher SPF claims gives us a false sense of security- so consumers are more prone to exposing their skin to the damaging rays without realizing the danger. There have also been new disclosures about potentially hazardous ingredients found in sunscreens.

So how do you protect your skin from the harmful UVA rays this summer?  First and foremost,  EWG  strongly urges the old fashioned approach when it comes to skin care:

Cover Up. Shirts, hats, shorts and pants shield your skin from the sun’s UV rays.  Sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun’s UV rays.

Stay in the Shade. Picnic under a tree, read beneath an umbrella, take a canopy to the beach. Keep infants in the shade – they lack tanning pigments (melanin) to protect their skin.

Avoid the Sun during peak hours. If possible be outdoors in early morning or late afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky. UV radiation peaks at midday, when the sun is directly overhead.

In addition to the rules above (which we all know but do not always follow), become a savvy sunscreen sunscreen shopper.  The organization provides the following recommendations:

Avoid Sunscreens that Contain the Following  Ingredients:
Oxybenzone (linked to certain cancers)
Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) government data links vitamin A to accelerated growth of skin tumors and lesions
Added insect repellent

Ingredients to Look For: Sunscreens that contain Zinc, Titanium dioxide, Avobenzone or Mexoryl SX

Use Sunscreens that provide Broad-spectrum protection and are “Water-resistant”  for beach, pool & exercise

Use SPF 30+ for beach & pool

Download their EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Safer Sunscreens for more tips!