More Sunscreen Tips and Commentary From SustainLane

By now, you probably have heard about the findings from a recent study from the Environmental Working Group about sunscreens.  Many of the major brands tested by the EWP in 2010 Sunscreen Guide,  failed to make the grade.  These findings inspired a post from us last month: Is Your Sunscreen Providing Enough Protection? - and inspired me to pay better attention to my own personal summer skin care for myself and family.

SustainLane, a wonderful source of eco and health news & commentary, came out with their own recommendations and tips as a result of this study.  Though the 2010 summer season is coming to a close; we felt like this information was relevant and important enough to pass on to our readers and friends.  Here are some guidelines to choosing safe sunscreens from the article Is Your Suncreen Safe :

1. Don’t rely on SPF ratings. As we said, SPF only accounts for UVB-ray protection, which means the higher the number the more likely it is that you’re being misled about the protection. Part of the reason the EWG slagged this crop of sunscreens is because many are making claims of SPF 50 and over. In fact, some are promising SPF as high as 100 this season. (Insert eye roll here.)

2. Avoid chemical sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens absorb the rays so you don’t have to, and then they sneak into your body and mess around with your hormones. Oxybenzone, a hormone-disruptor found in 97 percent of Americans according to the CDC, is one widely used active to avoid—and if you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for the planet: Every year, 4,000 to 6,000 tons of chemical sunscreen comes off our bodies (and into the ocean), destroying the coral reef in the process.

3. Zinc is your new best friend. This is the cleanest and most effective active ingredient you can find in a sunscreen. It offers broad-spectrum protection—that means from both UVA and UVB rays—while posing absolutely no health threat. And fear not: Advances in technology mean the zinc on the market is nothing like the stuff you used to see striping your lifeguard’s nose.

4. Titanium dioxide is your new second-best friend. As an ingredient, it’s not as clean as zinc—you won’t find it in your multivitamin since it’s dangerous when ingested or inhaled—but it offers the same meaningful protection and isn’t absorbed through skin. All of the 39 EWG top-rated sunscreens featured zinc and/or titanium.

5. Beware of nanoparticles. Used in some sunscreens to make titanium dioxide appear less white on the skin, nanoparticles are a hot-button issue right now. By making them that small, there is evidence that the particles can then migrate to body tissue, where they may wreak all kinds of havoc. In Europe, companies using nanos have to say so; not so over here, though.

6. Avoid vitamin A in sunscreen like the plague. While animal studies never represent conclusive evidence for humans, when other mammals are getting cancer faster—as was shown in the FDA’s study of vitamin A and sun exposure—it’s a good idea to avoid the suspected culprit. It’s packed into a lot of anti-agers and sunscreens, and should be avoided at all costs.

7. Be wary of the other ingredients in there. Fragrance (which contain phthalates), chemical preservatives like parabens (which may or may not mess with hormones), and a host of other questionable things are found in most mainstream sun products. We’ll cover these in more depth in future columns and in our book, but in the meantime, remember that the fewer ingredients the better.

8. Don’t count on sunscreen alone. Even if you’re using the good stuff, most of us tend not to apply enough, or reapply it like we should. The false sense of security offered by sunscreen is thought to be one of its biggest threats. Which takes us to…

9. Protect your head. The EWG and any doctor with a brain will tell you as much. Hats, protective clothing and shade are still your best bet when it comes to avoiding sun exposure. But…

10. Get a little unprotected exposure. While it goes against everything we’ve been taught, some doctors are recommending we get limited exposure to the sun without any sunscreen to ensure healthy vitamin D levels. If you don’t want to risk it—and we don’t blame you if you don’t—make sure to get your D in other ways, through diet and supplements.

This is the second installment in a series inspired by No More Dirty Looks: The Truth About Your Beauty Products and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics, a forthcoming book by GOOD’s features editor Siobhan O’Connor and her co-author Alexandra Spunt.

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!