Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Sunscreen Study

Read on CNN that the sunscreens we've been using are either ineffective, harmful and/or both.

Here's the link to the study: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/summary.php


And to the article: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/07/01/sunscreen.study/index.html

fyi

Thank you for posting this. Of course we use of the bad ones

It's there! Check the study link!

Yes, I was amused to see that the generic CVS and Walgreen's were among the very best. We've been using Coppertone, Banana Boat and Neutrogena - all duds! And DS complains about the smell of the Coppertone spray and says it's got to be unhealthy. That's one smart boy, LOL!

I just started using the Coppertone spray! It takes so much less time to get everyone sun screened with the spray. I should have known if it made life easier it had to be bad for us!!! LOL!!!!

Most of the best brands I've never even heard of!! (other than CVS and Walgreens of course)

I'd have listed them, but there's like 140-some they recommend!

(Granted, most I've never heard of, but maybe you have?)

I just saved the link, and I'll check my store to see what they carry, then check that against the list, since the stock is bound to be smaller than the list of sunscreens!

I have become allergic to chemical sunscreens. I can only use the barrier type sunscreens now. Try Vanicream SPF 60.

http://www.psico.com/products/vani_sunscreen.cfm

Since I started the thread, here you go, Dottie, the top 10:

Keys Soap Solar Rx Therapeutic Sunblock, SPF 30 zinc 0 not waterproof
2. Trukid Sunny Days Facestick Mineral Sunscreen UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum, SPF 30+ titanium, zinc 0
3. California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+ water resistant, titanium 0
4. California Baby Sunblock Stick Everyday/year-Round, SPF 30+ titanium 0
5. Badger Sunscreen, SPF 30 water resistant, zinc 0
6. Marie Veronique Skin Therapy Sun Serum zinc 1
7. Lavera Sunscreen Neutral, SPF 40 titanium 1
8. Vanicream Sunscreen, SPF 35 zinc 1
9. Vanicream Sunscreen Sport, SPF 35 zinc 1
10. California Baby Sunscreen Lotion No Fragrance, SPF 30+ water resistant, titanium 1

I'm going with the Vanicream Cathy A recommended. I seem to be allergic to all sunblocks except for certain of the Banana Boat. I'm all for covering up with rashguards and board shorts at the pool. Of course, I'm getting very little sun exposure this summer sitting at my desk...

Sadly, that's one of the main points of the study: the top 3 sunscreen makers don't have a single product on the "acceptable" list. Not good news!

Thanks for the link. This article was quite helpful. My recent personal experiences validated the article in my mind.

I bought the cheap Walgreens sunscreen earlier this summer and it worked well. After it was gone I bought some Banana Boat and we all got burned during our recent vacation. I also have a friend who had a severe allergic reaction to Coppertone this year.

Dottie, here is a link to a one-page summary you can print out.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/ewg_sunscreen.pdf

Ooh! I missed that. Thanks Texas Summer!

OMG, it gets worse. You can search make-up, toothpaste, etc.

Maybe Edith, but not Archie.

<smirk>

:p Let's hope not!

LOL!

Okay, I hate to be a cynic, but check out the Skin Cancer Foundation's list of products receiving their seal of approval:

http://www.skincancer.org/images/stories/documents/sealcombined.pdf

This is what is confusing to me. I read conflicting information about everything!!!! How do you know who to believe???

So does this mean I can go back to my spray sunscreen????

Well, here's my reading of this issue:

I think the study Questions posted was holding sunscreens to a higher standard than the FDA, which basically says they all meet the minimum requirements. This environmental group--which is suggesting we should demand more from these companies--says the bare minimum of safety that the FDA is allowing isn't enough.

Ultimately, you have to decide how much you care about sunscreen and whom you trust more. If you use a lot of sunscreen, you might want to get the really safe and effective stuff, just to be sure. If you only use it occasionally, maybe you don't care as much.

I confess, I probably won't throw out what we already have. But I probably will replace it with the more highly recommended stuff when we run out. That's where I am on the "fear of sunscreen" meter.

(FWIW, part of my take is that the FDA has lost a lot of its bite in recent years. I personally tend to treat what they allow as a starting point, not an endpoint anymore. At least, that's more-or-less what _Consumer Reports_ has been indicating in recent issues.)

I don't think the SCF has learned from the AMA's mistake. Here's what the SCF says on its website:

Buy a high-quality product with an SPF of 15 or higher; check its ingredients to make sure it offers broad-spectrum protection; and decide whether it works better for everyday incidental use or extended outdoor use. Finally, look for The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation, which guarantees that a sunscreen product meets the highest standards for safety and effectiveness. Once you choose the right sunscreen, use it the right way. But remember, you should not rely on sunscreen alone to protect your skin against UV rays. By following our guidelines, you can lower your risk of developing skin cancer, while helping your skin look younger, longer.

"Guarantees?" Didn't they run this by legal? LOL!

FYI, the AMA had a bit of a debacle from backing out of a planned endorsement with Sunbeam, as you might recall:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9902EEDB113DF93BA25755C0A96E958260

I expect the answer is somewhere between the two divergent list of products, but the list does make me stop and think...

LOL, Questions!

I guess the SCF doesn't say what exactly those "highest standards" are. Given that the top 3 sunscreen makers aren't on the environmental group's list, I guess "highest" is a relative term! :p

Questions, I think you are right and the answer is probably somewhere in the middle. Thanks for posting this!

Good luck with the shopping. I managed to find one which has both low hazard and is highly effective our health store. Watch out for CVS kids sunscreen or you end up with not so good ratings but at least they still have good UVA and UVB protection.

I saw the database long time ago when it came to children shampoo. You can drive yourself crazy looking up different products.

This sort of reinforces my theory (based on .... nothing really) that in general, sunscreens are not good. If the sun is so high, then stay in the shadow or indoors.

That works perfectly well in The Netherlands of course.

I have the feeling that in Spain I am going to use much more cream

Ahhh, there is more.....

www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20080701/group-sunscreens-effectiveness-hazy

What about Vitamin D deficiency caused by not getting enough UV? This is implicated in many cancers.

I try to get sun on my legs so that I get enough vitamin D, since they're covered most of the year and are therefore at a lower risk for skin cancer. But on my face and arms, I try to always wear sunscreen.

Thank you, now I know that the Coppertone Waterbabies stick is better than the Banana Boat. And the Banana Boat Kids Block is the better option.

Since we are at the ocean, I go through a lot of sunscreen.

Ren

Ren,

Make sure that you click on the link and look at UVA and UVB protection. Even though the Coppertone stick doesn't have bad number overall, it has very bad UVA protection. We used a similar one and I was happy to see 3 overall till I saw 8 for UVA.

Glad that Vanicream's on the list. I originally got it for DS4, who had very sensitive skin. I recently started switching to cheaper brands because his skin isn't so sensitive anymore, but I'll switch back. By the way, our local Target carries Vanicream sunscreen behind the pharmacy counter, next to the wonderful tubs of vanicream skin lotion with the pump...)

Thanks LMom. I didn't look further, time contraints. I thought I was being so good applying it so well and often. Now, they throw this into the mix.

But then I grew up on a beach with a sunbathing mother sans sunscreen and my skin is in good shape. So what is the story?

Ren

My husband, who had a serious skin cancer removed almost five years ago, was told by his doctors to stay out of the sun, but if he had to go out to always wear sunscreen. Since we have 3 acres of land that he has to mow every week in the summer and also rides his motorcycle to work and with the PGR where he gets a lot of sun exposure, he thinks he is protecting himself with sunscreen, and I see that his sunscreen is listed on list of bad ones, so it looks like I now have something else to worry about.

I have always stayed out of the sun as much as possible because I am light skinned, don't tan very well and only get more freckles. After seeing my husband go through the horrible radiation therapy after his cancer, and seeing a friend in her 30's who had a melanoma removed from her leg, I am even more cautious about being in the sun. My husband's cancer scared my daughter enough to quit tanning, even though she always looked very nice with a tan.