Group warns many products don’t provide enough protection
Ask any dermatologist what the most potent treatment for aging skin is and they’ll give you the same answer: daily use of a sunscreen. But your sunscreen may not provide all the protection it claims, a watchdog organization says in a new report.
An investigation launched by the Environmental Working Group found that three out of five sunscreens and sun blocks on the market either don’t protect skin from damaging rays or contain hazardous chemicals—or both.
The findings, which were released July 2, drew strong criticism from the Skin Care Foundation, the leading skin cancer prevention organization in the nation.
The EWG is a non-profit environmental group that studies sunscreens and labels. The watchdog organization has been trying to force the federal Food and Drug Administration to issue stronger sunscreen standards.
“The FDA may not care about the safety and effectiveness of sunscreen products, but the public does,” EWG’s Vice President of Research, Jane Houlihan, said in a press statement. “EWG’s guide is really the only place concerned consumers can go to identify which sunscreens, lip balms and moisturizers are the safest, most protective for themselves and their families.”
The group has studied the nation’s sunscreens for the last three years. Despite some of the flaws, the EWG found that many companies are actually putting out products that offer better protection from the harmful rays of the sun. The group found that 70 percent of sunscreens out for the 2009 summer season contain strong UVA filters, compared to just 29% last year.
Top brands the study recommended to give better protection against UVA radiation include: Solbar, Zia Natural Skincare, Nivea, L’Oreal, and Hawaiian Tropic.
The Skin Care Foundation responded by saying the group continued to raise unnecessary confusion and concern about the safety of sunscreens.
“We are concerned that their report will cause people to stop using sunscreen,” a statement on the group’s Web site says. “Consumers should rest assured that sunscreen products are safe and effective when used as directed.”
The truth is that the labeling on sunscreens and blocks can be confusing.
The SPF number on a sunscreen bottle shows how well the product screens out damaging ultraviolent B rays, also known as UVB. These rays cause sunburn and, in some cases, skin cancer. An SPF of 30 means that unprotected skin burns 30 times faster than skin without the product.
The FDA does not require companies to say how well their products protect against ultraviolent A (UVA) rays. These rays are less strong but they penetrate deeper into the skin, causing wrinkles, spots and other damaging signs on the skin.
The FDA plans to upgrade its labeling system by the end of the year so consumers can have a better idea of what kinds of sunscreens to use. Sunscreen companies, however, will have up to an additional year to 18 months to change their labels to reflect the new FDA standards.
Until then, it may be a safe bet to go with the advice of the American Academy of Dermatology. The group recommends sunscreens that advertise “broad-spectrum” protection from both UVA and UVB rays with an SPF of at least 15. Check for products that contain the AAD Seal of Recognition.
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