Well, the days
of unending rain and clouds have swiftly changed into sunshine and warmer
temperatures! I'm enjoying being outside these days - working in my garden,
biking, and going to outdoor functions. I hope you, too, are able to take time
to enjoy being outdoors this summer.
Many of you know
that I spent over 15 years as a medical professional in the field of
dermatology. So, it's only natural that I am concerned about sun protection,
and follow the current findings and recommendations. As in many fields, there
are different points of view here, too. But after working with so many people
with various skin cancers and knowing that some of these are preventable, I
really believe that sun protection is crucial.
So before you,
your significant other, kids, grandkids or anyone else you care about goes out
into the summer sun, consider the following:
The Environmental
Working Group (EWG), a consumer protection research group, recently analyzed
500 sunscreens for their yearly sunscreen report. These included major brands like Hawaiian
Tropic, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena. Of
the 500 evaluated, they were able to recommend only 39 of them - a mere 8%.
This meant that 461 did not give the protection that was claimed and/or
contained potentially hazardous ingredients.
Potentially
hazardous ingredients? Yes, unfortunately. Recent government research data
links the vitamin A in many brands of sunscreen to accelerated growth of skin
tumors and lesions. Yet the FDA has not issued a single regulation regarding
sunscreens since 1978!
Specific
sunscreen chemicals, like oxybenzone, are known to be potential hormone
disruptors. In addition, many new chemicals are introduced every year to the
market place, without our knowledge of their safety or potential harm.
The FDA has
stated that sunscreen SPF values greater than 50 are misleading, and do not
offer added protection from exposure to harmful UVA and UVB rays. This again
reinforces the fact that the best sunscreen is a hat with a wide brim, and a
long sleeved sun-resistant shirt and pants. No worries about chemicals absorbing
through your skin, or concerns about whether the sunscreen actually works!
When you cannot
avoid exposing your skin to the sun, you can use one of EWG's top-rated
sunscreens to get broad-spectrum protection. All top-rated products contain
either zinc or titanium micronized (nano) minerals to protect from UVA and UVB
rays without the hazardous chemicals that penetrate the skin.
For individuals
who want a choice other than nano-scale minerals (zinc and titanium), they can
use non-mineral products with limited sunscreen chemical ingredients that
disrupt the hormonal system. The downside is that these offer only moderate or
weak UVA protection.
Check out the
EWG's report and the list of highly rated products at www.ewg.org,
and pick a
sunscreen that works for you rather than against you this summer!
Please note: Summer Break! No newsletter in August, but will be back in September.
Enjoy life each
day!
Be well!
Jane
