Think that bottle of sunscreen is protecting you and your family? You may need to think again, according to tests performed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). What you don't know can hurt you, as this year alone over one million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States, and approximately 8,000 Americans will die from melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
Sunscreens are meant to protect the public from the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet rays. In 1978 the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) announced standards for sunscreens but these standards were never finalized, and thirty years later the sale of sunscreens in the U.S. is still under-regulated. Over a year ago the agency promised to toughen sunscreen standards, but so far they have not.
Because the FDA has been so slow to act, sunscreen makers are allowed to make unsubstantiated claims on product labels, and many sunscreen products do not provide adequate protection to consumers; some contain harmful or untested ingredients. An example is the chemical Oxybensone, an ultraviolet light filter found in some sunscreens; the FDA says the chemical is safe, but the Environmental Working Group, of Washington, D.C., a nonprofit research group disagrees, saying that Oxybensone can cause hormone disruption, or even cancer.
Lack of government regulation can cause consumers harm; for example, when a manufacturer uses the term "broad spectrum" protection on a sunscreen label it does not, in fact, necessarily mean the product will protect from the sun's harmful rays. No federal guidelines regulate the level of sun protection required before the term can be used, and so the consumer is, in fact, often buying a product that does not offer sufficient ultraviolet protection regardless of what the label implies.
Nor are there any regulations regarding what strength of UVA protection a sunscreen must provide. Most of us are familiar with the sun protection factor (SPF) ratings that rank protection against the UVB ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn and skin cancer. Many, however, are unfamiliar with UVA, ultraviolet rays of a different wavelength that cause the skin to tan, to wrinkle, and that also promote skin cancer. Because UVA radiation protection is not considered in the SPF ratings, a SPF rating is helpful, but is only part of what a consumer needs to know when choosing a sunscreen, because choosing one only by its SPF rating will not alone protect against skin cancer.
Another problem that needs to be addressed by the FDA is whether or not chemicals that are absorbed into the skin from the use of sunscreen products pose an excessive risk for allergies, or if they can cause hormone, or reproductive problems.
In an effort to provide consumers with information to better enable them to make informed decisions about the use of sunscreens, Sean Gary, Senior Analyst, and his Environmental Working Group (EWG), tested nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products, and developed a rating system that includes critical information on UVA protection, including how stable the product is in the sun, and potential health hazards of the product's ingredients.
Four out of five of the sunscreens tested either failed to provide adequate protection against the sun's rays, or posed excessive health risks to the consumer according to the EWG's report. Of the sunscreen products tested with an SPF rating of 15 or higher, only 15 percent provided adequate protection from UV rays. Fully 85 percent of those tested either did not provide adequate UV protection, or contained ingredients that either had not been tested for safety, or were known to pose health hazards.
Leading brand-names scored the worst: None of Coppertone's 41 sunscreen products met the study's criteria for safety and effectiveness; and between the second and third largest manufacturers, Neutrogena and Banana Boat, only one out of a total of 103 products met the EWG's safety and effectiveness standards. Coppertone responded to the report by saying that all its products are tested rigorously in both the lab and in the real world to ensure they are safe and effective. Neutrogena noted that its products have been "embraced by dermatologists and consumers for their efficacy."
Some popular sunscreen chemicals actually broke down when exposed to sunlight. Others penetrated the skin causing concerns about allergic reactions, hormone disruption, or skin damage.
Tips to reduce the damaging effects of exposure to the sun's rays include:
- Avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day
- Apply ample sunscreen a half hour before going out into the sun
- Use a sunscreen with at least an SPF rating of 30
- Reapply sunscreen every two hours and immediately after swimming
- Use sunscreen that includes either aveobenzone or parsol 1789, each provide UVA protection
- Use sunscreen with either Neutrogena with Helioplexs Technology, or Mexoryl, each provides sunscreen stabilization against the heat
- Wear a hat, and cover up with light clothing while in the sun
If you don't apply enough sunscreen you won't get the benefits of its protection. If you apply it only after you are in the sun and start to feel warm you have already been exposed to an unsafe dose of UVA rays. A stabilization ingredient will help your sunscreen to not break down too fast in the sun.
The top five sunscreens, as listed in the Environmental Working Group's list of 100 recommended sunscreens are:
- Keys Soap Solar RX Therapeutic Sunblock SPF 30
- Rukid Sunny Days Facestick Mineral Sunscreen UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum SPF 30+
- California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance SPF 30+
- California Baby Sunblock Stick Everyday Year-Round SPF 30+
- Badger Sunscreen, SPF 30
Martin Weinstock, MD, PhD, and professor of dermatology and community health at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, advocates to, "Slip, slop, slap," which is to slip on a shirt, slop on the sunscreen, and slap on a hat, and to remember that, "the best and safest color is the one you were born with."
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