Sunblock & Sunscreens - Hazard or Protector?

The very ingredients in sunscreens that offer sun protection, may also have adverse side effects. Some of the chemicals used in sunscreens are feared because they are said to enter our bloodstream through ongoing topical use and may have hazardous effects once they accumulate, either in our bodies or the environment. In a disturbing investigation of 952 name-brand sunscreens, the Environmental Working Group found that 4 out of 5 sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns.

There is also a growing awareness that sunscreen ingredients like the paraben's and Benzophenone may function like human estrogen's and actually disrupt the normal hormonal functioning of the body.


To assist consumers in their decision making, the Environmental Working Group has created a database of sunscreen and sunblock products. Each product is scored according to its effectiveness at blocking UVA and UVB rays, as well as the amount of ingredients that have been linked to health concerns like cancers, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergens, persistence, and bioaccumulation. Each product ingredient is given a score between one and 10 (one being the best, 10 being the worst) in each category, as well as overall. I highly recommend this website as it's unbiased. Do yourself a favor and check it out. What I found most alarming was that a lot of the "baby" sunblocks were the worst offenders. Go figure!

All the best,
Marnie

http://whatsupwithred.blogspot.com/