Here Comes The Sunscreen

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Healthy Child Healthy World

Yesterday, after dragging their collective feet for 33 years, the US Food and Drug Administration finally released new rules about sunscreen to help clarify label confusion and reduce illegitimate product claims. Here’s the breakdown:

In order to use the term” broad spectrum,” sunscreens must protect equally against both UVB and UVA rays.
Sunscreen manufacturers can no longer claim their products are waterproof or sweatproof. Although, they will be allowed to claim how long a product is water resistant, based upon test results.
Only sunscreens that have an SPF of 15 or higher will be allowed to say they help prevent sunburn and reduce the risks of skin cancer and premature aging of the skin.

While this is certainly a step in the right direction, many feel it’s merely a baby step and significant action still needs to be taken in regards to potentially risky ingredients and nano-sized materials.

Luckily, while we continue to wait, there are resources like the Environmental Working Group’s 2011 Sunscreen Guide that identifies products that are both effective and safe. But, even this annual resource has come under scrutiny this year. Why does sunscreen have to be so complicated?

We asked our blogger network to weigh-in on sunscreens and here’s what they had to say:

Michelle from Simplify, Live, Love says, “[s]ometimes I think it would be easier if parasols and bonnets were all the rage instead of nicely tanned skin! I am a freckled redhead who burns easily. Two of my children also have red hair, and my baby burns in the shade. My mom recently had skin cancers removed from her face and an acquaintance of mine died earlier this year at the age of 36 from melanoma. It's safe to say that sunscreen is on my mind.” Read on to see what her real-life solutions are.

Dagmar from Dagmar’s Momsense is especially attentive to sun exposure because she has a condition called melasma. She says, “in my twenties, I noticed unsightly brown patches on my cheeks, upper lip, and forehead after a vacation. I usually don’t like lying in the sun, but on that particular vacation I had made a point to get a nice tan. I ended up looking like I had a mustache.

My dermatologist told me that it would take a long time to get rid of this darkened skin and said that I can’t go into the sun anymore. I was stunned — how was I going to do that?” Read the rest of her post to learn exactly how she copes.

Lori from Groovy, Green, Livin says "(i)t's never as simple and straight forward as it seems. You can use a cheat sheet, top-rated list or any other list as a guide, but you have to educate and do some of the leg-work yourself. Decide which ingredients you are comfortable putting on your body. Finding your own balance between safe ingredients and adequate protection against ultraviolet-rays will lead you to a safe sunscreen that works for you. Remember: no sunscreen is perfect (at least I haven’t found one yet)." Read more at her blog to find out how she chooses what’s best for her family.

What’s best for your family? Check out more recommendations from our blogger network:

Also, check out Healthy Child’s picks by visiting Shop Healthy.

Thanks to everyone for such informative submissions! Are you interested in participating in our blogger network? Sign-up today!

Posted by John on 08/23/2011 at 09:45 AM

While these new rules are a giant step in the right direction after 33 years they still do not address some important issues. They do not condider toxicity issues when approving new UVA filters and they still allow manufacturers to use vitamin A which is known to damage skin when exposed to sunlight.

Posted by Stephanie on 06/22/2011 at 08:06 PM

After spending a year in Australia where NOBODY even dreams of tanning or sitting in the sun, I learned the importance of staying OUT of the sun and not worrying so much about what sunscreen to use. I really feel that as mom’s we should make sure to cover up our children with long sleeves, hats, staying in the shade and if we do go out in the sun, go out only after peak sun times. :)

Posted by Shelley Kramer on 06/18/2011 at 09:17 AM

I have been using Sombrero sunblock from Neways Int for over 17 years, and do not get skin problems or skin cancer, only healthy unburned skin from using this product. Environmental working group is a good source of information, but you have to take with a grain of salt. They categorize ingredients using full strength of the chemicals. This is not true with manufacturers, who may use only 1-2% of a chemical. So they are unbalanced in the way they analyze products. They claim baking soda, aloe vera and cinamon are carcinogens. Come on, would you believe that a natural product like the aloe vera plant is a carcinogen?
Try Neways Sombero Sunblock for a healthy body and no cancer.
PositiveHealthyLiving.ineways.com

Posted by yoga teacher training on 06/16/2011 at 09:44 PM

I swear having kids and needing to read all the fine print never gets any easier. I am really greatful for the team at Healthy Child for doing such a great job of informing us parents on how to stay up on these ingredients. I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to ingredient labels but still, when it comes to stuff like this it can really throw you for a loop. Thanks for the heads up as the sun seems to be warming up!

Sara

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