Over one million people are diagnosed per year in North America with skin cancer!

By Dr. Samantha Ristimaki, BSc, ND

Although being in the sun can be great for vitamin D production, too much sun can be problematic over time.  Soaking up the sun exposes the skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, some of which is naturally reflected by the skin but the rest is absorbed by living cells.  The absorbed UV damages cells causing sunburn, premature aging and skin cancer.

Most people slather on sunscreen or sunblock with good intentions to help protect the skin from the sun’s harmful rays.  The problem is not all sun protection products are created equally.  There are a lot more things to consider besides sun protection factor (SPF) when choosing a sunscreen.

1. Does it protect from both UVA & UVB radiation?
2. Is it actually chemically stable in sunlight?
3. Do its ingredients have any known or suspected health hazards?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) in Washington DC recognized the need for scientific analysis of sun protection products.  They analysed 1,085 products on the market with information compiled from studies, toxicity information and product formulations to rank them for safety and effectiveness.

Only 15% of 1,085 products analyzed met criteria for safety and effectiveness!

Some of the worst offenders were Coppertone, Banana Boat and Neutrogena.

What they found….

Products lacked UVA protection

7% of products did not contain ingredients that would help shield the body from UVA.  Long term exposure to this type of long wave radiation is linked with skin cancer.

They couldn’t stand up to the sun

44% of products contained ingredients that may be unstable in the sun making it questionable as to whether they will actually last as long as they claim.

Ingredients may be linked with skin cancer

Most commercial sunscreens contain oxybenzone.  It absorbs UVA & UVB rays.  The problem is that oxybenzone is now actually thought to cause some forms of skin cancer!

Dr. Samantha’s top pick:

Kiss My Face 100% Paraben Free Sunscreen with Oat Protein, SPF 30

To find out how your sunscreen ranks, check out the EWG’s list of best sunscreens at www.cosmeticdatabase.com

Have a question, want to share you thoughts -Post Here!