Don't want to scare you guys, but sunscreen has been in the news lately, and it isn't all that good. Read the following article excerpts, then come back and cut and paste the links below to find out 1) which sunscreens actually work, and 2) which sunscreens do the least harm to wildlife. Then, try to use a sunscreen which appears both lists.
If you spend a lot of time in the sun, use of a good sunscreen is very important. Effective sunscreens protect your skins against both kinds of ultra violet rays, which reduces your risk of skin cancer and delays the development of wrinkles.
Also, please note that even if you don't go to the beach, the sunscreen you use will eventually find it's way to the ocean. That's because water treatment plants don't filter out the chemicals in sunscreen.
Sunscreens ranked by effectiveness (the lower the score, the better): www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/findyoursunscreen.php?nothanks=1
Sunscreens that don't harm coral reefs:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/13/BAL21103UD.DTL
Burning questions raised over sunsceens' effectiveness
When temperatures soar past the century mark around the Bay Area, people head for the beach with all of the usual gear in tow. Think towels, Frisbees, coolers, umbrellas. And sunscreen.
Oceans of it.
Americans will spend more than $1.1 billion on sun protection products this year, a market that's grown by an annual rate of 10 percent since 2004.
But is it worth it?
A recent study from the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, D.C., found that 4 out of 5 sunscreens offer inadequate protection against harmful rays or could contain harmful chemicals.
While most of these products do help against sunburn, the question of skin cancer is more troubling. Our increasing efforts to slather on the sunscreen have had little effect on the prevalence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
If anything, the rate of contracting skin cancer is holding steady. Among young white American women, in fact, it's actually trending up, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Many medical experts are starting to question the efficacy of sunscreen in fighting cancer, despite protests from an industry that stands by its products.
"There is no evidence that sunscreens work against melanoma," said Dr. Marianne Berwick, who specializes in melanoma and heads the Division of Epidemiology at University of New Mexico.
Sunscreen's a Bleach for Aquatic Life
Plopping down on the beach slathered from head to toe with sunscreen may help with the carcinoma, but the inevitable cooling dip in the ocean won't be good for the coral.
The creams that sunbathers use to ward off cancer-causing ultraviolet rays cause bleaching in coral reefs and seem to accumulate in fish and other aquatic life, according to recent studies.
The discovery creates a catch-22 for pale-skinned, sun-worshiping environmentalists who love to snorkel. But it is a particular problem for the environment because sunscreen is used almost everywhere on Earth, and it invariably ends up in the water.
"Almost 80 percent of our water in the U.S. shows trace amounts of chemicals from personal care products, which could be sunscreens, lotions, colognes or medications," said Sejal Choksi, the program director for Baykeeper, an environmental watchdog group.
A recent study authorized by the European Commission found that the chemical compounds that filter ultraviolet radiation in cream-based sunscreens caused bleaching in coral reefs.
The study, published in the U.S. journal Environmental Health Perspectives, showed that even small amounts of the chemicals made the algae on coral susceptible to viral infection. The killing, or bleaching, of the algae - which have a symbiotic relationship with the coral - is a death knell for the whole structure.
"Once the coral bleaches, it can't really survive," said Christian Daughton, chief of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's environmental chemistry branch at the National Exposure Research Laboratory in Las Vegas.
Dermatologist's sunscreen advice
Editor - As a dermatologist, I read the July 10 article "Burning questions raised over sunsceens' effectiveness" with great interest.
There is no question that the frequent use of effective sunscreens, in combination with sunprotective clothing and sunglasses, lessens the risk of skin cancer and premature photoaging.
Sunblocks that contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide effectively block UVA and UVB by reflecting them. However the other category of sunscreens, chemical sunscreens, offer only UVB and at most partial UVA protection.
Chemical sunscreens chemically bind to the skin and may release free radicals. In addition, some chemical sunscreens break down upon exposure to sunlight.
There is a difference, and readers can find the sunscreens on the label listed under active ingredients.
DR. ANYA LANDECK
San Rafael
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