Sunscreens accelerating cancer? I really freakin' hope not.

Remember how I said sorting through all the available information out there is confusing? Well, I just read an article about a recently published report stating that many sunscreens on the market may actually be accelerating cancer. Are you kidding me? I just got done preaching the benefits of sunscreen. I still think lathering on the SPF is necessary, but I think you should read the article and proceed with caution. I'll also do my best to summarize the findings on this blog.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) published a report stating that only 8% of the 500 products on the market are considered safe and effective to use. That's 39 of 500 sunscreens. Scary. You can read the press release which does a nice job explaining their findings. It also links you to other important information.

The EWG states that there are exaggerated Sun Protection Factor (SPF) claims out there. EG: SPF 100. Plus, some sunscreens include the ingredients oxybenzone and Vitamin A - now thought to be potentially harmful.

Oxybenzone helps to absorb UVA and UVB rays, ultimately protecting you from the sun's rays. However, it's a is a synthetic form of estrogen and has a hormone-disrupting compound that penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. Not good. Not good at all.

What's even scarier is that the FDA is investigating whether a form of Vitamin A, retinyl palmitate (found in 41% of sunscreens) can cause accelerated growth of skin tumors and lesions. The concern is that when it's applied to the skin and then exposed to sunlight, it may be increasing skin damage and elevating our cancer risk. The problem is that Vitamin A is known for it's anti-aging properties, so many companies add it to their products.

People are ticked off at the FDA because sunscreen regulations have never been finalized and it's been an ongoing battle since 1978. New regulations may not be issued for another year and a half, so protect yourself. Find sunscreens that don't include Vitamin A or Oxybenzone. Your best bet is a physical sunscreen which contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These ingredients work as physical blockers that reflect UV rays and prevent them from striking the skin's surface. For more information about specific brands, you should take a look at the EWG's 2010 sunscreen guide. You can look up your sunscreen to see how potentially harmful it may be as well as see which products they recommend.

I looked up Dermalogica's Solar Booster SPF 30, which is my favorite sunscreen and it was ranked as a 7 on a scale of 10 (10 being the most harmful). It's not my favorite anymore. It's in the "red" category because it contains both potentially harmful ingredients I mention above. I just bought a brand new bottle and am going to try to return it and try something else.

Here are some tips:

• Don't solely rely on sunscreen to protect you from the sun. Wear hats, protective clothing, and take cover in the shade as much as possible. Don't forget to protect your eyes and wear sunglasses
• Choose sunscreens that contain the minerals zinc or titanium. Again, here's a list of the EWG's top sunscreens
• Avoid sunscreens with Vitamin A and Oxybenzone. We don't know for sure that Vitamin A is a problem, but I plan to avoid it until the findings are confirmed. You may want to consider it too
• Don't buy those sprays or powders because they're easier to ingest than creams
• I think anything higher than SPF 30 has too many chemicals and doesn't provide much more sun protection
• Remember than sunburns still increase the risk of skin cancer, so don't avoid sunscreen all together. Just be smart about what you choose

I hope this information is helpful. I'm going to be doing more research and will keep you posted on what I find. Contact me on this blog with any questions in the meantime.