Only about One in four sunscreen is safe and works wellAccording to a new report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
The report found that 498 out of 2,204 Sunscreen Completed organization criteria with many products Cleaking claims of harmful chemicals, old formulas, or SPF protection.
However, many experts told Health That report can be reported Exaggerate the dangers of sunscreen available in America
The report has not been published in a scientific magazine reviewed by a colleague, and in the past, researchers have strongly criticized EWG for making misleading claims about chemical safety. Experts said that EWG may also have some financial conflicts with sunscreen, reviewing it.
What do you know about the new report here, do you be worried about your favorite sunscreen safety and efficacy and how to protect your skin.
EWG assesses Sunscreens Five different factors:
- Based on health dangers, content reviews
- Ultraviolet B (UVB) Protection
- Ultraviolet A (UVA) Protection
- Bold between UVB and UVA security
- How long does it take to break sunscreen stability, or a component in the sun
The organization weighs efficacy and security, and also flagged products with the following “Related to factors”:
- Oxibenzone or vitamin A in the component list
- Spray or powder manufacture
- Spf above 50+
- SPF shows UV security less than price
- Label banned marketing claims, such as the word “sunblock”
Based on these matrix, Only 23% sunscreen in the US is considered safe and effective.
However, Adam Freedman, MDChairman of Dermatology at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said that the author of the report is pioneer for “Cherry-Picking the Safety Studies,” Shuffled claims.
Sunscreen chemical
EWG report increased the alarm Chemical sunscreen-So there are products that protect your skin by absorbing light from the sun.
Although the use is on a decline, chemical sunscreen that contains a component Oxybenzone There is a concern, EWG claimed, as they can do Disrupt your hormone system.
However, Experts disagree with the notion that oxybenzone is dangerous– Although there is some evidence that it may be absorbed in the bloodstream, it does not seem negative biological effects on people. There are “very large data sets” that suggest that “chemical sunscreen endocrine is not a distribution,” Freedman said Health,
The report also flagged the chemical sunscreen Octocrillin, which contains links to coral refusal, But Friedman again Disagree-The work has not found enough evidence that these materials will ever reach high adequate concentrations to be harmful to coral in the real world.
Similarly on fall, sunscreen Vitamin declines sunlight and accelerates skin damageThe report states.
Vitamin A has been staged on a large scale because It cannot be the sun, Freedman agreed. However, some researches suggest that vitamin A in sunscreen Skin health is protective, Not harmful, he explained.
Spray sunscreen
EWG report ever warns against popular Spray sunscreenSaying that they apply unevenly and cause breathing risk.
Experts agreed: Many people do not apply spray sunscreen properly.
However, “Studies show that there are there No health risk in common spray sunscreen, Elizabeth Bah Houssmond, MDA dermatologist in private practice in Dallas, told HealthThey also provide an additional option for those who will not use sunscreen otherwise.
Misleading SPF claims
EWG report claimed that with sunscreen High levels of SPF protection are misleading For consumers, because having more than 50 SPF leads to less returns. for reference:
- SPF 30 sunscreen block 98% rays.
- SPF 50 sunscreen blocks 98% rays.
- SPF 100 sunscreen block 99% rays.
These can be high-SPF sunscreen “Fire users in false sense of safetyThe report states.
This is a valid concern: “A high SPF does not mean that you can stay out for a long time without re -implemented,” Susan Taylor, MDPresident of American Academy of Dermatology and Professor of Dermatology at Penn Medicine, told Health“Sunscreen should be applied again every two hours, or soon after swimming or sweating.”
But High SPF sunscreen is not always a bad thing, Freedman said. “Many clinical trials show that people apply almost a quarter or even half which is necessary to receive. [a certain] The SPF number, “they explained. So if people are not applying enough sunscreen, it can help protect their skin using a high-SPF product.
Restrictive guidelines and old formulas
EWG report states Standards of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are lagging behind The European Union does not allow the use of new sun-filtering chemicals in sunscreen products, which can put consumers at risk of using old or ineffective formulas.
But Housemand said that it is a good thing that sunscreen standards in the US are “very strict”, as research is capable of showing that no material in available products “raises a risk for human health.”
The EWG report encourages people to use select sunscreen that fulfills their criteria, although some experts expressed concern that their conclusions may really be Make people more doubtful Use of sunscreen.
“If you read the title that less than a quarter of sunscreen are safe and effective, you are going to think, ‘What’s the matter?” Friedman said.
Report also provides related links so that customers can buy sunscreen in their approved list, which can present one Financial conflict of interest. Companies in EWG pay a product evaluation duty, as well as an annual licensing fee, Id Orang, MDProfessor and Chairman of the Textile at Bayler College of Medicine, told Health,
Finally, experts and EWG reports agree that The best type of sunscreen is what you remember to use every day.
According to Taylor, people should see Sunscreen he is:
- broad spectrum
- water resistant
- 30 SPF or higher
“This type of sunscreen helps protect you from your skin SunburnEarly aging, and skin cancer,” He said.
It is also important that you Applying that sunscreen correctly:
- Pour sunscreen on any skin that are not covered with clothes (especially sensitive areas such as lips and eyes).
- Use sufficient sunscreen to cover your skin completely and evenly, which is usually about an ounce.
But sunscreen is only a part of a successful skin conservation. Freedman, Taylor and Orango also suggest:
- Wide brimd hats, sunglasses and protective clothes
- When it’s sunshine, looking for shadow
- Be alert around water, ice and sand, because they reflect sunlight