Tis the season to clean out the medicine cabinet. Well, at least in my home. End of the summer sales on things like sunscreen, band-aids, and topical ointments serve as the impetus for my annual cleaning.
However, this year I’m being extra careful about replacing my old sunscreens with the ones on clearance. A few weeks ago I received an email about sunscreen hazards. According to the Environmental Working Group, some sunscreens can be harmful to your health.
The group maintains that the majority of sunscreens on the market shouldn’t be used on adults or children because they contain two potentially deadly chemical components. The first is oxybenzone. The Environmental Working Group classifies oxybenzone as a “hormone disruptor.” The group cites a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control, which found trace amounts of oxybenzone in 97% of adults. What’s more, the group says that oxybenzone is found in 60% of commercial sunscreens.
The second harmful chemical that the Environmental Working Group says is found in sunscreen is retinyl palmitate, a form of Vitamin A. According to the group, the FDA did a study of Vitamin A creams and found that some appear to accelerate skin damage. The Environmental Working Group claims that 40% of the sunscreens they evaluated contain retinyl palmitate.
Now, before you dump all the sunscreens in your medicine cabinet, doctors warn that no one should be exposing himself to the sun without some form of protection. Health experts maintain that the Environmental Working Group’s concerns are being taken out of context.
Doctors still recommend that people apply sunscreen before going outside. In addition, you should consider staying in the shade during peak hours (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.), wear a wide-brimmed hat, and if you are extremely concerned about slathering on sunscreens with potentially harmful chemicals, then dig a bit deeper and purchase more expensive natural or organic sunscreens.