To Sunscreen or Not To Sunscreen

Summer is here and the same old problems associated with it are here too. To choose between so many sunscreens is quite challenging; and then to decide whether to use it all the time or not it is another challenge. It is well documented that people are getting too less Vitamin D (essential for helping people to fight the winter germs, summer colds, depression, aches and pains, diabetic afflictions, heart disease, and a wide range of cancers).

Let’s take the challenge of choosing the right sunscreen. The Skin Deep database findings indicate that out of 1000 sunscreens only 15 % of them provide minimal health risk and adequate sun protection. It seems that the majority of the sunscreens do not protect against UVA rays while the UVB rays are measures in SPF. Both types of rays lead to skin damage and skin cancer. On the other side, 95% of Americans have oxybenzone (an ingredient found in sunscreens, linked to cell damage, allergies and hormone disruption) in their bloodstream. Therefore, choosing the right sunscreen it is hard.

Here are some things to take in consideration:

1. Check the Skin Deep database to find a sunscreen with less health effects and to protect you from both UVA and UVB rays.
2. Choose a sunscreen with SPF 30 (after that number the protection increases very little – by 1% to 3%). SPF is a rating for only UVB rays, not UVA rays.
3. Check the list of ingredients for UVA blockers: Mexoryl, Zinc oxide, Titanium dioxide, Ecamsule.
4. Follow the instructions on the side and apply the sunscreen correctly; for example, if is says to apply it 20 minutes before going in the sun and every 2 hours – then this is the right thing to do.
5. Be careful to the sunscreens that claim to be water-proof/water-resistant because the FDA says that these formulas do not dissolve in water but they can be washed off.

Now let's take the challenge of choosing how much sun is enough. There is lots of controversy about this issue; some are arguing that people should stay in the sun at least 15 minutes every day; others are proposing supplements of Vitamin D; and others are using the fact that sunscreens are not efficient so people can get enough Vitamin D. It is hard to reach a conclusion and to decide what to do. It seems that it is the UVB that forms the precursors of Vitamin D in the skin but when is too much it can damage the skin. Whatever decision you make, you need to make sure is the best for your health.

The American Academy of Dermatology provides some guidelines to help us protect from skin cancer and still have fun in the sun.

"Generously apply a water-resistant sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 that provides broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays to all exposed skin. Re-apply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating. Look for the AAD SEAL OF RECOGNITION^TM on products that meet these criteria.

Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, where possible.

Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.

Protect children from sun exposure by playing in the shade, using protective clothing and applying sunscreen.

Use extra caution near water, snow and sand as they reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.

Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that may include vitamin supplements. Don't seek the sun.

Avoid tanning beds.Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look like you've been in the sun, consider using a sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.

Check your birthday suit on your birthday. If you notice anything changing, growing or bleeding on your skin, see a dermatologist. Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early."

Given all the chemical ingredients in the sunscreen, I wonder where is the cancer coming from; it is coming more from the sun or it is also coming from the sunscreen and self-tanning products? And I wonder whether the natural way of getting vitamin D might be better than the supplements? After all, the dermatologists care about your skin, not the vitamin D.

Here's the sunscreen I have selected for my kids, one that has no offending substances, does the job and you can still pay for the vacation and buying it.

USDA Certified - Cosmetics, Body Care and Personal Care Products

The organic trend is just starting in the cosmetics industry, so be prepared for the same "gold rush" of marketing claims as we've seen in other product categories. The good news is that some regulation exists in the US, check for the USDA Organic logo on cosmetic products that claim to be organic (unfortunately not too many, yet).

USDA uses the following rules to apply its organic seal on cosmetics:

100% organic - "Product must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients. Products may display the USDA Organic Seal and must display the certifying agent’s name and address."

Organic - "Product must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt). Remaining product ingredients must consist of nonagricultural substances approved on the National List or nonorganically produced agricultural products that are not commercially available in organic form, also on the National List. Products may display the USDA Organic Seal and must display the certifying agent’s name and address."

Made with organic ingredients - "Products contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients and product label can list up to three of the organic ingredients or “food” groups on the principal display panel. For example, body lotion made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients (excluding water and salt) and only organic herbs may be labeled either “body lotion made with organic lavender, rosemary, and chamomile,” or “body lotion made with organic herbs.” Products may display the USDA Organic Seal and must display the certifying agent’s name and address."

Less than 70% organic ingredients - "Products cannot use the term “organic” anywhere on the principal display panel. However, they may identify the specific ingredients that are USDA-certified as being organically produced on the ingredients statement on the information panel. Products may display the USDA Organic Seal and may not display a certifying agent’s name and address. (Water and salt are also excluded here.)"

For more information go here.

Cosmetics that are using the USDA organic seal are: (last updated August 1st, 2008)

Origins – only some of their products are USDA certified.
Dr. Bronner – only some of their soaps are USDA certified.
Terressentials - USDA certified.
Aubrey Organics - only some of their products are USDA certified.
One Group - only some of their products are USDA certified.
Organic Essence - all of their products are USDA certified.
Nature's Baby Organics - baby products that are USDA certified.

Dont't forget: The USDA Organic Certified products must have displayed the USDA organic seal on them.

Organic/Natural - The Misleading Label

A new study released this month by the Organic Consumer Association (OCA) shows that there are toxic chemicals in the organic and natural products. The study found that products certified under the USDA National Organic Program DID NOT contain 1,4 dioxane - a cancer-causing ingredient, but most of the best selling personal care products claiming to be "organic" (but not USDA certified) contained the cancer-causing ingredient.

Some Brands Found to Contain 1,4-Dioxane:

• JASON Pure Natural & Organic

• Giovanni Organic Cosmetics

• Kiss My Face

• Nature’s Gate Organics

Brands Found NOT to Contain 1,4-Dioxane:

All USDA Certified brands tested in the study were 1,4-Dioxane free, including:

• Dr. Bronner’s

• Sensibility Soaps (Nourish brand)

• Terressentials

German Natural “BDIH” Certified brands tested and found to be 1,4-Dioxane free:

• Aubrey Organics

• Dr. Hauschka

For a full list of brands tested go here.

1, 4 dioxane get into our bodies from breathing contaminated air, ingestion of contaminated food and drinking water, and dermal contact with products such as cosmetics, detergents, bubble baths and shampoos that contain 1,4-dioxane. Exposure to high levels of 1,4-dioxane can result in liver and kidney damage and death. Eye and nose irritation was reported by people inhaling low levels of 1,4-dioxane vapors for short periods (minutes to hours). Studies in animals have shown that breathing, ingesting, or skin contact with 1,4-dioxane can result in liver and kidney damage. Animals that breathed high amounts of 1,4-dioxane also became drowsy. Laboratory rats and mice that drank water containing 1,4-dioxane during most of their lives developed liver cancer; the rats also developed cancer inside the nose. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers 1,4-dioxane as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. EPA recommends that the levels of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water that children drink for 1 day not exceed 4 milligrams per liter (4 mg/L) or 0.4 mg/L if they drink the water for 10 days. However, a federal drinking water standard is not available. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a limit for of 100 parts 1,4-dioxane per 1 million parts of air (100 ppm) in the workplace.

How to reduce the risk?

Families that drink water that could be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane can reduce the risk for exposure to 1,4-dioxane by drinking uncontaminated bottled water.

“To avoid 1,4-Dioxane, the OCA urges consumers to search ingredient lists for indications of ethoxylation including: "myreth," "oleth," "laureth," "ceteareth," any other "eth," "PEG," "polyethylene," "polyethylene glycol," "polyoxyethylene," or "oxynol," in ingredient names. In general, the OCA urges consumers to avoid products with unpronounceable ingredients. "When it comes to misbranding organic personal care products in the U.S., it's almost complete anarchy and buyer beware unless the product is certified under the USDA National Organic Program," says Cummins.”

Well, it is always safe to look for certification of the products claiming to be organic/natural.

What is in the Fragrance?

While the industry is strongly arguing that the phthalates and other chemicals used in fragrances are safe, environmental activists have started a battle in alerting people of the ingredients found in fragrance. In the U.S., the ingredients in the fragrance are not regulated so the industry can put, basically, anything inside the bottle. The FDA required that manufacturers should list the ingredients found in their cosmetic products but failed to do the same for the ingredients found in the fragrance. Some resources are saying that more than 4000 chemicals are used in fragrances and these include toluene, petrolatum, ethanol, acetone, formaldehyde, limonene, benzene derivatives, etc. These ingredients were found to be linked with birth defects, cancer and various illnesses. Take a little time to watch the video and decide for yourself!



Let’s try to void ALL scented products that have "fragrance" as an ingredient - including all perfumes, colognes, personal-care products, after-shaves, , air fresheners, clean products, etc.

The Care Products We Are Using - Are They Safe?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), created a cosmetic database -Skin Deep Database- to help fill safety gaps left by the cosmetic industry that has publicly studied nearly 13 percent of the 10,500 ingredients identified by the government in personal care products. The FDA does not regulate the ingredients in the cosmetic products thus, it remains to the industry to decide what ingredients to put in their products. The EWG is stating that:
"More than 750 personal care products sold in the U.S. violate industry safety standards or cosmetic safety standards in other industrialized countries."
and
"98% of all products contain one of more ingredients never publicly assessed for safety."

Their analysis of ingredients in more than 23,000 products revealed that 751 different products fail to meet one or more industry or government safety standards, including:

• "383 products containing ingredients that are prohibited for use in cosmetics in Canada, Japan, or the E.U.
  
• 447 products that industry safety panels have found unsafe when used as directed, including 86 found unsafe for all product applications by the CIR and the International Fragrance Association, and 360 found unsafe by the CIR when used according to package directions and,
  
• 1,331 products containing ingredients for which the CIR panel said there is insufficient data to determine whether they are safe in cosmetics.
• 22,697 products (98% of all products assessed) containing one or more ingredients for which FDA, the CIR panel, or any other publicly accountable U.S. institution have not conducted safety assessments."

For a complete report go here.

The Skin Deep is the largest and most comprehensive database where consumers can compare safety ratings of numerous personal care products. The database contains searchable information about 27,528 care products - shampoos, conditioners, body lotions, toothpastes, baby products, fragrances, sunscreens, etc. In all these ratings are included 7,145 ingredients, 1,675 brands, and 1,040 companies.
Being very doubtful about the industry's care for the safety of the public, I check this database all the time when I need to buy care products for me and my family.

Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

I become more and more alert when I have to buy cosmetic products these days. The U.S. regulations for cosmetic ingredients are practically nonexistent which means the producer can put basically everything in their products. Most of these ingredients are banned in Europe and Japan but largely used on the American market. As expected, the manufacturers say their products are legal and safe according to U.S. regulations and that EU have overreacted and banned chemicals with little or no evidence of a human health threat. They are called controversial ingredients which means there are studies that proved their risk on human health and studies which found no link between the use of them and the human health. It seems that more carefully designed longitudinal studies are needed to confirm one way or the other. However, precautious as I am I would prefer to better be safe and trying to avoid them as much as possible. I would try to avoid especially the following ingredients:

Phthalates are found in medical devices (such as medical tubing and blood bags), footwear, electrical cables, packaging, stationery, toys, roofing, cosmetics (aftershave, shampoo, nail polish, fragrance, powders, skin creams, hair products) etc. In other words phthalates are everywhere around us - at home, at work, in the hospital. In E.U. three phthalates - DEHP, DBP and BBP - are banned for use in cosmetics and in all toys and childcare articles and three others - DINP, DIDP and DNOP - are banned from use in toys and childcare articles for those articles that can be put children's mouths. Within U.S., currently, there is no ban on phthalates; only the state of California will ban the use of some phthalates in children’s toys starting in 2009.

Parabens are found in baby preparations, shampoos, cleansers, deodorants, eye-products, lotions and moisturizers, make-up, personal lubricants, nail products, topical/parental pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, and other hair products, and sunscreens.

Petrolatum (also known as petrolatum jelly) is found in conditioners, creams and moisturizers, epilating wax, baby cream, nail products and makeup. Petrolatum is banned in Europe.

Propylene Glycol is found in: moisturizers, sunscreens, antiperspirants, hair strengtheners, mouthwashes, shaving products, , and stick perfumes and baby lotions.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is found in: shampoos, bubble baths, emollient creams, soaps, cream depilatories, hand lotions, permanent waves, , and toothpastes.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate is found in: shampoos, including baby shampoos.

Synthetic fragrances found in any cosmetic product.

Follow this link to read a List of Substances which are Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Toxic to Reproduction. Many of these substances are still found in the cosmetic products we use every day.

Burt's Bee Owned by Clorox

I just came across this article in New York Times “Can Burt’s Bees Turn Clorox Green?”. I was never a fun of Burt’s Bee but I have to confess that I was surprised to find out that they are now owned by Clorox. The Burt’s Bee Company claims that its products are natural and Clorox claims that is working hard to become green. Will Burt’s Bee become Clorox or Clorox will become Burt’s Bee? Well, the history proved one thing: when a small company is acquired by a big one, in time it will simply become the same thing. I doubt that Clorox will change its line of products so easily but I am pretty sure that will be able to wipe out the natural part of the Burt’s Bee.