This week, the Environment Working Group (EWG) released their annual report, and found that only 39 of 500 sunscreen products examined were considered safe and effective to use. The report cites several problems with sunscreens, namely:

1. High SPF sunscreen products are often meaningless and dangerous.
2. The chemical sunscreen, Oxybenzone, can penetrate the skin and may disrupt the body’s hormone systems.
3. Vitamin A (retinol) and retinyl palmitate in sunscreen products may accelerate skin cancer

Higher SPFs Do Not Necessarily Mean Better Protection

This is a statement I have been explaining to patients for the past 25 years. However, it seems every summer, I see higher and higher SPF products on drugstore shelves, and I constantly have to educate patients that higher SPF numbers, such as SPF 45, 80 and 100, are often meaningless and dangerous because it gives people a false sense of security, or a license to stay out longer in the sun.

The new EWG report states, “People don’t get the high SPF they pay for. We apply about a quarter of the recommended amount. So in everyday practice, a product labeled SPF 100 really performs like SPF 3.2, an SPF 30 rating equates to a 2.3 and an SPF 15 translates to 2.”

In 2007, the FDA published proposed regulations that would prohibit manufacturers from labeling sunscreens with high SPFs because it would be “inherently misleading,” given that “there is no assurance that the specific values themselves are in fact truthful.”

In the end, stick with the basics: At least 30 minutes before going outdoors, apply sunscreen. The correct amount to use is approximately 1 oz (a shot glass full) of sunscreen for your face, neck, chest and arms. Apply more sunscreen for if other parts of your body are exposed, such as your back, legs and stomach. Also wear a wide brim hat and sunglasses that cover your entire orbital region. Remember to reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours.

Oxybenzone Can Disrupt Body’s Hormone Systems

There are two groups of sunscreens: Chemical and Physical. Ingredients such as Oxybenzone and Avobenzone are chemical sunscreens, while Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide are physical sunscreens.

Researchers have found that Oxybenzone (from the Benzophenone group of chemical sunscreens) can penetrate the skin and may disrupt the body’s hormone systems.  Physical sunscreens have proven to be more effective in blocking UVA and UVB rays, namely because they are actually physical particles that sit on the surface of your skin and deflect light away.  However, there is new cosmetic trend which tries to incorporate nanotechnology in skincare formulas.  A growing number of researchers believe that in particular, “nanosized” titanium dioxide may have serious health implications.

Vitamin A In Sunscreen Formulations Can Accelerate Skin Cancer Tumors

There are numerous sunscreen products that include Vitamin A, otherwise known as Retinol or Retinyl Palmitate, in their products for anti-aging benefits. However, EWG researchers found the initial findings of an FDA study of vitamin A’s photocarcinogenic properties, meaning the possibility that it results in cancerous tumors when used on skin exposed to sunlight.

“In that yearlong study, tumors and lesions developed up to 21 percent faster in lab animals coated in a vitamin A-laced cream than animals treated with a vitamin-free cream,” the report said.

The conclusion came from EWG’s analysis of initial findings released last fall by the FDA and the National Toxicology Program, the federal government’s principle evaluator of substances that raise public health concerns.

There is currently controversy on why the FDA did not caution consumers against the use of Vitamin A in sunscreens when it appears there was enough evidence 10 years ago.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 at 11:23 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.