Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.....

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!

 

 

 

Comments

[Jill Hetherington]

Christine,
Beautifully written. Well said. Informative and moving.
Thanks for helping us all to learn!
xo,
Jill

[Oakleigh Ryan]

Christine - so good to have you back. We missed you! And as always you deliver! Oaks