Sunscreen safety is called into question

[DogPoundPup]

Published: July 23, 2008

For years, dermatologists have told us sunscreen protects skin. Now, many people are questioning that advice after an environmental group challenged the safety of many popular brands.

"Patients are confused," said Darrell Rigel, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University who is a skin cancer researcher. "I've had patients come in and ask, 'Am I harming myself by using it?' I've spent a lot of time talking to people about it."

The latest report comes from the Environmental Working Group, which claims that in an investigation of nearly 1,000 sunscreen products, four out of five offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain ingredients that may pose a health risk.

But dermatologists who reviewed the group's research say the biggest problem is that it lacks scientific rigor. In particular, they are critical of a sunscreen rating system that they say is arbitrary and without basis in any accepted scientific standard.

"What they are doing is developing their own system for evaluating things," said Warwick Morison, professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins and chairman of the Skin Cancer Foundation's photobiology committee, which tests sunscreens for safety and effectiveness. "Using this scale to say a sunscreen offers good protection or bad protection is junk science."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/23/healthscience/22well.php

[AndyA]

1. I used a continuous spray Walgreen's SPF 50 a couple of weeks ago.

I was out in the sun literally all day long, four days in a row.

I got burned on my chest where my shirt collar was open, as I had forgotten to spray that area. Everywhere else I covered, and I didn't burn at all. I was VERY impressed.

It was very cooling when you put it on, resisted sweat, and wasn't too oily. It certainly did its job. Anyone needing protection, I highly recommend it. It's in a blue canister.

[BadgerKid]

2. The Chemical Sunscreen Health Disaster

http://www.skinbiology.com/toxicsunscreens.html

[gateley]

3. As a melanoma survivor (that sounds so dramatic) my unsolicited advice

would be to use products containing zinc oxide. It's not an irritant like many of the chemical sunscreens can be.

[hlthe2b]

4. or titanium dioxide--both are mineral based sunblocks

as opposed to chemical sunSCREENS--and now that they can micronize them, can be used in high concentration without the "white" finish of old...

[gateley]

5. Yep - that's what I use every day.

For some reason, I'm of the impression that zinc protects better than titanium, but I'm not sure why I think that. :7

[SidDithers]

6. Yup, our whole family uses this...

Which is PABA free and 2.5% Titanium Dioxide. It takes a few minutes to rub in, but lasts a long time.

Sid