Tuscaloosa News, Sarah Bruyn Jones
Published July 4, 2007
All sunscreens are not equal. Sure, we know that a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 8 differs from one with SPF 50 —dermatologists have touted the increased skin protection of sunscreens with SPF 15 and higher for years. But what about two sunscreens with the same SPF? Are they equal?
According to research released last week, the answer is a resounding no.
Dermatologists have been proclaiming that fact for some time. Now, a study conducted by a Washington-based nonprofit has found that many sunscreens aren’t safe or effective.
Sunscreens are different, and it’s hard for consumers to distinguish those differences. There is even discrepancy among the top sellers.
An analysis of 785 sunscreen products with an SPF rating of 15 or higher found that 84 percent offer inadequate protection from the sun’s harmful rays or contain ingredients with safety concerns.
The research organization Environ-mental Working Group conducted the analysis and produced a new database listing products with the best combination of safety and effectiveness. The database can be accessed at
www.ewg.org/
sunscreen.
Some sunscreen chemicals break down when exposed to sunlight and must be formulated with stabilizing chemicals. Others penetrate the skin and present significant health concerns, according to the study.
“The SPF rating on the product is helpful, but it is only part of what a consumer needs to know,” Jane Houlihan, Vice President for Research at EWG, said in a statement. “Our rating system includes critical information on UVA protection, how stable the product is in the sun, and potential health hazards of the product’s ingredients.”
According to the EWG, which is known publicizing the health hazards of pollutants and toxic contaminants, many sunscreens contain chemicals that could have harmful effects from chemical exposure.
Despite concerns about toxic effects of some chemicals, the researchers backed the effectiveness of two ingredients often found in sunscreens – zinc and titanium.
“Although we expected to reach a different conclusion at the outset of our sunscreen investigation, when we balanced all factors important in sunscreen safety, we found many zinc and titanium-based sunscreens that our analysis shows are among the safest and most effective sunscreens on the market,” read an expert of the study’s findings.
The report goes on to state, “Our study shows that consumers who use sunscreens without zinc and titanium are likely exposed to more UV radiation and greater numbers of hazardous ingredients than consumers relying on zinc and titanium products for sun protection.”
The sun protection benefits of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide is something dermatologist Marian Northington of the University of Alabama at Birmingham said she has been preaching to her patients for a while.
“They are both physical blockers, which means they reflect the sunlight,” Northington said.
The other ingredients often found in sunscreen are called chemical blockers, which absorb, instead of reflecting, the sunlight.
The researchers found that sunscreens without zinc and titanium led to more skin damage, premature aging, wrinkling, and UV-induced immune system damage linked to UVA exposure, compared to zinc and titanium sunscreens.
Those without zinc and titanium also contained more toxins on average in every major category considered, including toxins that lead to cancer, birth defects and reproductive harm, and chemicals that can damage the immune system.
“If you’re going to be out in the sun, you need to have the right type of sunscreen to protect yourself,” Northington said, reiterating that people should purchase a sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. “And make sure you put on a lot of it. You need to put on three times more than what the average person puts on.”
Reach Sarah Bruyn Jones at
sarah.jones@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0209.
Effective sunscreens According to the study, the following sunscreens are highly effective and have a low health hazard.
# Badger SPF 30 (2007)
# Peter Thomas Roth Titanium Dioxide Sunblock (SPF 30) (2006)
# Lavera Sun Screen Neutral SPF 40 (2007)
# UV Natural UV Natural Baby SPF 30+ (2007)
# Vanicream Sunscreen Sport (formerly Sunscreen SPF 35) (SPF 35) (2006)
# UV Natural Sport SPF 30+ (2006)
# California Baby SPF 30+ Sunblock Stick No Fragrance (2007)
# California Baby SPF 30+ Sunblock Stick Everyday/Year-Round (2007)
# Keys Soap Solar RX Sunblock (SPF 30) (old formulation) (2005)
# KINeSYS KIDS Sunscreen Spray with Parsol 1789 (SPF 30+) (2006)
# California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion Everyday/Year-Round (2007)
# California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion Natural Bug Blend (2007)
# California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion No Fragrance (2007)
# Dr. Brandt Body Barrier Gel (SPF 30) (2006)
# Mustela Moderate Sun Protection Stick (SPF 20) (2006)
