{"id":90,"date":"2010-08-12T15:26:23","date_gmt":"2010-08-12T15:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/?p=90"},"modified":"2010-08-25T15:32:52","modified_gmt":"2010-08-25T15:32:52","slug":"if-recent-attacks-on-sunscreen-concern-you%e2%80%a6-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/2010\/08\/12\/if-recent-attacks-on-sunscreen-concern-you%e2%80%a6-2\/","title":{"rendered":"If Recent Attacks on Sunscreen Concern You\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Based on information and\u00a0recent reviews from\u00a0http:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/<\/a>\u00a0 we\u00a0recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher as an important part of a complete sun protection regimen.\u00a0\u00a0Your regimen\u00a0should also include seeking shade, covering up with clothing including a wide-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses and avoiding tanning and UV tanning booths.\u00a0 Recent attacks on sunscreens by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and by the media point may concern you; however, we believe that sunscreen continues to be one of the safest and most effective sun protection methods available.\u00a0 We are concerned that unfounded criticisms will raise unnecessary fears and cause people to stop using sunscreen, doing their skin serious harm.\u00a0 In general, criticisms have not been based on hard science.\u00a0\u00a0 The Chair of the Skin Cancer Foundation\u2019s Photobiology Committee, an independent volunteer panel of top experts on sun damage and sun protection, reviewed the same studies reviewed by the EWG, and found that their determination of what made a sunscreen bad or good was based on \u201cjunk science.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

MYTH #1<\/span>: <\/strong>The EWG has claimed that the incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has increased as sunscreen use has gone up in the past 30 years.<\/strong>\u00a0 However, systematic review of all studies from 1966 to 2003 shows no evidence to support the relationship between sunscreen use and increased risk of melanoma.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MYTH #2<\/span>:\u00a0 <\/strong>The EWG and other groups have claimed that sunscreen blocks vitamin D<\/strong>.\u00a0 While solar UVB is one source of vitamin D, the benefits of exposure to UVB cannot be separated from the harmful effects of sun exposure: skin cancer, cataracts, immune system suppression, premature aging.\u00a0 And excessive exposure to the sun actually depletes our body\u2019s supply of vitamin D. The safest way to obtain vitamin D is through a combination of diet and vitamin D supplements.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MYTH #3<\/span>:<\/strong>\u00a0 Other claims have suggested that the common sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone may be a carcinogen.<\/strong>\u00a0 However, oxybenzone has been available for 20 years, and there has never been any evidence that has any adverse health effect in humans.\u00a0 The ingredient is FDA-approved for human use based on exhaustive review.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MYTH #4<\/span>:<\/strong>\u00a0 It has been claimed that retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A and an ingredient in 41% of sunscreens, speeds the growth of tumors and other lesions when exposed to the sun.<\/strong>\u00a0 However, the EWG based its criticisms on an unapproved 10-year-old study of mice that has never been published in any journal.\u00a0 To date, there is no scientific evidence that vitamin A is a carcinogen in humans.\u00a0 In addition, only trace amounts of retinyl palmitate appear in sunscreens, and some evidence suggests that it is actually protective against cancer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MYTH #5<\/span>:<\/strong>\u00a0 Some have claimed that nanoparticles in micronized zinc oxide and titanium dioxide may be more harmful than larger forms of these chemicals<\/strong>, crossing the placenta and affecting the developing fetus, or causing DNA damage linked to cancer.\u00a0 However, these compounds are the two most effective broad spectrum sunscreen ingredients.\u00a0 Multiple studies have demonstrated that the nanoparticles in these ingredients do not penetrate the skin, and there is furthermore no strong evidence of their toxicity.\u00a0 The general scientific consensus (which even the EWG now admits) is that they pose no risk to human health.<\/p>\n

We continue to believe that sunscreen products are safe and effective when used as directed, and should be considered a vital part of a comprehensive sun protection program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Based on information and\u00a0recent reviews from\u00a0http:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/\u00a0 we\u00a0recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher as an important part of a complete sun protection regimen.\u00a0\u00a0Your regimen\u00a0should also include seeking shade, covering up with clothing including a wide-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses and avoiding tanning and UV tanning booths.\u00a0 Recent attacks on sunscreens by … [Read more…]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"entry","1":"post","2":"publish","3":"author-dzarnosky","4":"post-90","6":"format-standard"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90\/revisions\/93"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/drlawrence\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}