Consumer Alert: Some Sunscreens May Be Dangerous

CBS 2 New York, Kirstin Cole
Published July 18, 2007

Despite all the health risks, Americans still love to soak up the sun but at least more and more are now using sunscreen. But while many of these products say they protect from everything under the sun, studies show they may not live up to their claims. Some may even be harmful to your health. Last year, we bought 60 million bottles of sunscreen, a 13 percent increase over 2005. With more than 800 products on the market you can choose everything from "broad spectrum" and "all day" to "waterproof" and "ultra" protection. But critics charge current federal regulations allow sun block manufacturers to deceive consumers when it comes to the power of their protection. "The ingredients in these products are not tested," said Richard Wiles of the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit environmental research organization based in Washington D.C. And current guidelines, which are almost 30 years old, also don't regulate manufacturer claims. What's worse, experts say they're based on exposure to UVB rays but don't take into account UVA's, which in recent years have been found to be more plentiful and known to cause cancer. "What I was most surprised about was their are a number of sun screen ingredients that break down in the sun," Wiles said. The Environmental Working Group has analyzed the ingredients of thousands of personal care products and most recently released the first ever in-depth look at name brand sunscreens. The analysis found that 84% of nearly 800 sunscreen products, with an SPF of 15 or higher, offer inadequate protection from the sun's harmful rays or contained ingredients with safety concerns. "There is a big group in the middle, about 600, that we would advise caution in using," said Wiles. Because they contain ingredients, the Group, says either don't work or may even be toxic. "Some of them have ingredients that don't look to be very safe and that penetrate the blood stream and get into a child's circulatory system and get into their body," said Wiles. So what's a consumer to do? "You really have to look at the label." The group says avoid the ingredient, oxybenzone, but look for ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. The Cosmetics, Toiletry and Fragrance Association says they "have worked closely with the FDA to ensure...sunscreens are safe and effective." And all experts agree, wearing some sunscreen is better than none.