Not all sunscreens are created equal

Using sunscreen has always been important for skin protection. More than 1 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every year. There will be nearly 60,000 new cases of melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, diagnosed this year. Yet amazingly, many of us still aren't serious enough about sun protection and sun safety.

The Environmental Working Group did an investigation and found out that of 1,000 brand names of sunscreens, only 1 of 5 provided adequate protection from both UVA & UVB radiation with few ingredients known or suspected to have health hazards. After 30 years of delay, the government has failed to set mandatory sunscreen safety standards to protect consumers health. In August 2007, the FDA proposed the first ever UVA standards for sunscreen, but the rules are not yet finalized. In the meantime, the sunscreen companies are making misleading claims about product quality as their ineffective products are being sold.

Here are a few tips on what to look out for when buying sunscreen:

• Use SPF 30 or higher for best protection. It should have at least 7% zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for broad spectrum protection.
  
• Avoid oxybenzone or benzophenone-3 as these can cause allergies, and hormone problems.


• Try to avoid spray and powder sunscreens, inhaling sunscreen pose extra risks to your health.


• Don't use Fragrance sunscreens. They can cause allergies and reproductive problems.


• Sunscreen with added big repellant are no good because the pesticide can get absord by the body causing a health problem and poison our system.


• Fewer than 5% of the sunscreens Coopertone,Neutrogena, and Banana Boat are recommended safe and effective.

These have been listed by the EWG as the top 10 sunscreens:

• Blue Lizard (anything without oxybenzone)


• California Baby (anything with SPF 30)


• CVS with zinc oxide


• Jason Natural Cometics Sunbrellas Mineral Base Sunblock


• Kiss my face "Paraben Free Series"


• Olay Defense Daily UV Moisturizer (With Zinc)


• SkinCeuticals Physical UV Defense


• Solar Sense Clear Zinc for Face


• Walgreens Zinc Oxide for Face, Nose & Ears


• La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Lait (SPF 30 or higher)
  

Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock was the only sunscreen product that the EWG recommended that is manufactured by Neutrogena. None of market leader's in sunscreen such as Coppertone's 48 sunscreen products met EWG's criteria for safety and effectiveness, and only 1 of 115 products from Banana Boat and Neutrogena, the second- and third-largest manufacturers, are recommended by EWG. So choose wisely when buying sunscreen for you and your family and always read the label before purchasing a sunscreen. Your health may depend on it.