ABC 7 Medical: Sunscreen Report

ABC 7 DC, Kathy Fowler
Published June 18, 2007

Anchor: AN IMPORTANT NEW REPORT ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUNSCREENS. RESULTS SHOW SOME POPULAR SUNSCREENS MIGHT ACTUALLY BE UNHEALTHY AND OTHERS SIMPLY DON'T GIVE ADEQUATE PROTECTION AGAINST THE SUN'S HARMFUL RAYS. MEDICAL REPORTER KATHY FOWLER JOINS US WITH THIS STORY. Kathy Fowler on set: ALL OF THE EXPERTS WE TALKED TO TODAY AGREED IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE SUNSCREEN BECAUSE OF THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF SKIN CANCER. BUT ACCORDING TO THIS NEW REPORT 84 PERCENT OF SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR SUNSCREENS OFFER INADEQUATE PROTECTION OR CONTAIN INGREDIENTS WITH SAFETY CONCERNS. Story: SANDY POLENTES DOES A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT EVERYTHING SHE PUTS IN AND ON HER BODY. AFTER GETTING REALLY SICK 5 YEARS AGO SHE NOW LIMITS HER ENTIRE FAMILIES CONTACT WITH CHEMICALS, INCLUDING THE ONES IN SUNSCREENS. Sandy Polentes: "I feel like the chemicals are more damaging than the sun." THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP SPENT THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF ANALYZING THE 17 FDA APPROVED CHEMICALS IN SUNSCREENS. (GRAPHIC) ITS SCIENTISTS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THESE 2 CHEMICALS IN PARTICULAR. Jane Houlihan, EWG: "It penetrates the skin - we're finding it in people's bodies after they use sunscreens. Some of those chemicals can give off free radicals in sunlight and so they may pose cancer risk on their own so that's a big factor. " A TRADE ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING SUNSCREEN MANUFACTURERS INSISTS ALL THE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET HAVE BEEN RIGOROUSLY TESTED BY THE FDA. John Bailey: "Sunscreens in the U.S. are regulated as drugs and not as cosmetics and as such they need to be shown safe and effective. I think the regulation and oversight for sunscreens has been quite good." SCIENTIST JANE HOULIHAN ISN'T SATISFIED WITH FDA'S JOB. Jane Houlihan, EWG: "What we found is that fda for the past 29 years has been drafting sunscreen safety standards we still don't have standards in place in the U.S." HOULIHAN'S TEAM ANALYZED 785 NAME BRAND SUNSCREENS... GIVING EACH PRODUCT A COLOR CODED RATING... GREEN BEING THE BEST....AND RED THE WORST. THE EXPERTS ALSO COMPILED A TOP TEN LIST OF THE BEST SUNSCREENS - PRODUCTS THEY SAY GIVE BETTER PROTECTION AGAINST BOTH UVB AND UVA RAYS AND CONTAIN CHEMICALS WITH BETTER SAFETY RATINGS. THEY ALSO CAME UP WITH A LIST THEY CALL THE "WORST" SUNSCREENS ON THE MARKET. Jane Houlihan: "We found there is no sunscreen active ingredient that looks perfectly safe and perfectly effective." HOULIHAN THINKS USING SUNSCREEN IS VITAL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST SKIN CANCER AND SHE HOPES RATING ALL THE PRODUCTS WILL GIVE CONSUMERS IMPORTANT GUIDANCE TO KEEPING HEALTHY. TURNS OUT THE LOTION SANDY BOUGHT FOR HER 9 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER GRACIE HAD A VERY GOOD RATING. Kathy Fowler on set: THE FDA DECLINED AN ON CAMERA INTERVIEW FOR THIS STORY BUT GAVE US A STATEMENT. THE FDA BELIEVES SUNSCREENS ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE WHEN USED AS DIRECTED. THE FEDERAL AGENCY IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON REGULATIONS FOR OVER THE COUNTER SUNSCREENS THAT WOULD ADDRESS UVA TESTING AND SPF LABELING ISSUES. FDA OFFICIALS SAY IT'S IN ITS FINAL STAGES. Click here for Enivronmental Working Groups Sunscreen Analysis Click here for the EWG's best and worst list of sunscreens Food and Drug Administration Statement to WJLA: Depending on its ingredients, sunscreen products in the U.S. are regulated under either the new drug approval process or under the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drug Review ("monograph" system). Most sunscreens are regulated under the OTC monographs. The final monograph for sunscreen products was issued in May 1999 and can be found at: http://www.fda.gov/cder/otcmonographs/Sunscreen/sunscreen_FR_19990521.pd... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently working on regulations for over-the-counter sunscreen drug products that would address, among other things, UVA testing and SPF labeling issues. The regulation is currently in its final clearance. The FDA believes sunscreens are safe and effective when used as directed. Sunscreens are an important part of a person's total sun protection strategy, but sunscreen use alone will