Sun Safety - how safe are you?

Warm sunny days are now here. Thank goodness for that! I was getting tired of looking at snow, especially when we got a snow dump back in April. 

This is the time of year where everyone usually stocks up on Sun Block and Sunscreen. We take it for granted that we need an SPF 15 or higher. Some companies are making them as strong as they can. Now that seems like a great idea, but is it really? Have you ever wondered what's inside your sunscreen? Better yet, have you ever wondered how an SPF is determined?

Not all Sunscreens or Sunblocks are created equal. A lot of brands out there are masquerading as gentle or healthy. The sad part is that most of the worst offenders are the sunscreens marketed for babies & little children. This can be scary as a lot of the ingredients are found to potentially cause future skin tumors and cancers.

We are in a Catch-22 situation. We need Sunscreen as burning is bad. The products we purchase may stop us from burning, but since a lot of the ingredients are questionable, we are bringing on another slew of potential problems.

EWG's Skin Deep (Environmental Working Group) is a fabulous site to visit. They give the lowdown on every ingredient imaginable. They have just issued their 2011 Guide for Sunscreens, and they explain everything you need to know on the topic. They even have a 'Hall of Shame' for some of the worst sunscreens available on the market today. If you want to find out what sunscreen/sunblock is best for you, or to compare how your brand stacks up,  click here.

Marnie
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