My email was sparked with outrage this morning from a friend in North Carolina who is a devoted TODAY show watcher. (I think she has a little crush on Matt Lauer, but who doesn’t….) She has also become a dedicated green mom.
The source of her dismay
was a segment hosted by handsome Matt and featuring Dr. Nancy Snyderman which highlighted a recent study conducted by Consumer Reports rating sunscreens’ effectiveness at blocking UVA
and UVB radiation.
If I’ve read the WebMD
excerpt of the report correctly, apparently the lab methodology was to check “product
claims of how well their sun protection factor, or SPF, lasted on volunteers
who soaked in water for 80 minutes.”
And from that data, the “top four” products were
selected. Wow, now that is some
awesome science! I’m wondering who
paid for this study – the American Chemistry Council?
The products that the TODAY show experts
recommended to millions of viewers this morning may very well stay on skin,
even in water, but they are also loaded with toxic chemicals and I would not
consider purchasing any of them to protect myself or more importantly, my children.
Here is why.
The second I read that list, which includes Up & Up Sport SPF 30 by
Target, Walgreens Sport Continuous SPF 50, Banana Boat Sport Continuous SPF 30
and Aveeno Continuous Protection SPF 50, I clicked right to EWG’s Cosmetics
Database to check their ratings.
As reference, the EWG published an exhaustive
investigation on sunscreen in 2009. If you want to become a junior expert
like me, I highly recommend you take a look at what this 9-part piece
reveals. That goes for you too,
Dr. Snyderman ;-)
I consider the Cosmetics Database to be the most trustworthy resource consumers can reference to explore
precautionary concerns about ingredients in our cosmetic and personal care
products.
Unfortunately neither the Walgreens nor the Target
brand was scored, which was not a helpful start. An exhaustive search online did not turn up a list of their
ingredients. But let’s just assume
that if these are private label, low-cost products manufactured by a mass
retailer, cost-effective chemicals are the foundation for each
formulation. I would be happy to
be proven wrong on this one.
The low price of these products was mentioned three
times in this segment and it was the deciding factor on naming the Target brand
#1. You know the adage, “you get
what you pay for….”
Of the remaining two brands, neither of them scored
lower than a 5 (on a hazard scale from 0-10) and many ingredients in both in the 7
range. Red flag. I don’t buy any products for my own
family that rate higher than a 3, which is my personal (subjective) benchmark
for safety.
Referencing an article I wrote in May of 2008,
which I highly recommend you read, an ingredient of particular concern in
sunscreen products is oxybenzone – or any derivative in the benzone chemical
family.
I wrote, “Oxybenzone is a UV filtering
agent, but it is also a penetration enhancer and it absorbs through the skin.
Very significantly the sunlight can cause oxybenzone to trigger free radical
chemicals to damage skin cells and components of the skin’s extra cellular
support system like collagen and elastin.”
And perhaps more importantly, it is a
hormone disruptor and behaves as a synthetic estrogen in our bodies.
But if you don’t trust me, how about
reading the EWG’s list of “9 Surprising Truths” in their 2010 Sunscreen Guide. And
even more delicious is their “Hall of Shame.” Do any of these products look familiar?
One newer data point that I am interested
in exploring further is the concern that researchers are expressing about
nano-particles as ingredients in our skin protection. Titanium dioxide on the ingredients list can be an indicator
that nano-particles are in a product.
An excellent reference on this issue is
Hillary Peterson, CEO of Marie-Veronique Organics, a company with a top-rated
sunscreen,
my product of choice for everyday wear.
After beating thyroid cancer and weathering two melanomas, she is
passionate about creating the safest and most effective products on the market.
I recently sat next to her on a 5 hour
plane ride and we talked about nano-particles from Pittsburgh to San
Francisco. Believe me, when I say
that she is passionate about the subject.
Her primary concern is that researchers have not studied the impact of
these micronized particles so cavalierly cruising through our bodies, settling
into our organs and our unborn children. We are in need of more data about how
nano-particles from our cosmetics behave once they easily penetrate our skin or
are inhaled.
I am very excited to know that her company
just launched their Kid Safe Screen and I just purchased a dozen bottles for our
summer supply. (No, I’m not a paid
spokesperson for MVO.)
But I am an informed consumer, which is
probably more than I can say for most of the TODAY show viewers scrambling out
the door to Target this morning to buy their VERY waterproof, cheap sun
protection.
Experts on shows like TODAY wield such
tremendous influence on consumer behavior. I dream of a day when the wisdom imparted upon the masses
stems from a deeper source than the deepest pockets of our society.
A girl can only dream….
To close, reading my last post on
sunscreen reminded me that I love song lyrics so how about a little John Denver
to brighten your day!
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
If I had a day that I could give you
I'd give to you a day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I'd sing a song to make you feel this way
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
If I had a tale that I could tell you
I'd tell a tale sure to make you smile
If I had a wish that I could wish for you
I'd make a wish for sunshine all the while
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high
Sunshine
almost always
And no, that’s not a typo. The song ends with “always.” Guess that Rocky Mountain sun must have been a little too hot… Don't forget your sunscreen!
