This false sense of security sometimes causes people to think it’s okay to spend more time in direct sunlight, so they end up getting more ultraviolet exposure, not less. So a sunscreen with an over-the-top SPF may not adequately shield skin from the harmful ultraviolet A rays that cause skin aging and possibly melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.Īccording to the FDA, high SPF products can also mislead people into thinking they are completely protected from sunburn and long-term skin damage. One problem is that the SPF value on product labels pertains only to UVB protection. One caveat about SPF levels: Doctors recommend at least 30, but according to the EWG, products with claims of high SPF values are on the rise and are often misleading. “This means it protects against both UVB and UVA rays.” So what are the key things to keep in mind? “Look for sunscreen that’s labeled broad-spectrum and has an SPF of at least 30,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, the director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital’s department of dermatology in New York City. To sort through the report's findings and quickly cut to the bottom line, we narrowed down your sunscreen shopping trip to these six easy steps.Ī list of ingredients that are hard to pronounce, let alone understand, can be downright overwhelming. (Coconut oil and beeswax don’t work - sorry, Pinterest!) But there’s so much misinformation on social media that, according to a study in the 2020 issue of Health Communication, some people are clicking on links on how to make your own homemade sunblock - with dangerous results. After all, it’s something you apply directly to your body’s largest organ. These are considered physical blocking ingredients, and they're found in sunscreens with a "mineral" or "physical" label.Īmericans are becoming more dedicated to using nontoxic products in their households - as noted in a story published in August 2018 in Progressive Grocer - so it’s not surprising that there’s a corresponding increase in internet searches for so-called clean sunscreens. The good news is that two ingredients are labeled as safe and effective - zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Two actives (PABA and trolamine salicylate) are not recognized as safe and effective and an additional 12, including oxybenzone and octinoxate, were recently determined by the FDA to need further testing before they're considered safe. Unlike Europe, which regulates sunscreens the same way it does beauty products, and where 27 active sunscreen ingredients are approved by the government, in the United States, the FDA currently allows the use of just 16 active ingredients. The bad news is that the new EWG report found that roughly three-quarters of the more than 1,800 sunscreens analyzed don’t provide adequate protection, or they contain ingredients that the FDA has not yet established as safe and effective. And in May 2022 the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit advocacy organization, released its 16th Annual Guide to Sunscreens. Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate the active ingredients in sunscreen, their role in harm to aquatic environments, and how potential changes in guidance could affect usage and human health. In 2022, the National Academies issued a report calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a proposal in February 2019 for updated sunscreen regulations. The good news is, as more people become aware of the importance - and potential shortfalls - of sunscreen, more and more new research is emerging.Ĭase in point: The U.S. The struggle to separate fact from fiction has become an annual ritual as news reports trickle in and clickbait headlines scream apocalyptic warnings. Along with the pleasures of warm weather and more time in the great outdoors, the usual host of concerns and confusion about sunscreen return.
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