Is Oxybenzone in your Sunscreen?
Hot weather is just around the corner. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for sun and fun! However, I am alarmed at discovering that most sunscreens on the market don’t have appropriate UV protection and contain harmful chemicals. Even the ones that say “broad spectrum” are lacking in keeping harmful UVA rays from penetrating our skin. Some good news: I just read that new preparations such as micronized titanium dioxide are less conspicuous on the skin and offer substantial protection against both UVA and UVB. There is some controversy surrounding titanium dioxide – Click here to read a short summary.
The topic of discussion I want to share with you is this: Recently under investigation is a chemical called Oxybenzone. It’s found in the most popular brands of sunscreen, and is getting some bad press for being linked to cancer in lab studies. It also acts as an endocrine disruptor, affecting the nervous system, and creates free radicals when exposed to the sun. Ugh. I was under the impression that sunscreen was supposed to protect our skin from free radicals. Seeing that I spent most of my life using accelerators instead of sunscreen, one can imagine my dismay to learn that when I finally decided to get “sun smart” and start protecting my skin from the sun, the sunscreen choices I had been making weren’t so smart after all.
Most of my discoveries came when I got pregnant the first time. I became acutely aware of everything that went on and in my body. After wading through laboratory studies, research findings, scientific articles, ect. I started to become somewhat educated in widely used chemicals that are unfortunately bombarding our products. See my previous post on parabens and phthalates.
A quote from an article on Share Guide (the holistic magazine and resource directory)
A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveals that 97% of Americans are contaminated with a common sunscreen ingredient called oxybenzone. This toxic chemical has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage, as well as low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. Oxybenzone (also known as benzophenone-3) is also a penetration enhancer, a chemical that helps other chemicals penetrate the skin. Although oxybenzone is most common in sunscreen, manufacturers also use the chemical in at least 567 other personal care products.
Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit environmental research organization, identified nearly 600 sunscreens sold in the U.S. that contain oxybenzone, including products by Hawaiian Tropic, Coppertone, and Banana Boat, as well as 172 facial moisturizers, 111 lip balms, and 81 different types of lipstick. (For a complete list of products containing this chemical go to www.ewg.org)
The FDA has failed miserably in its duty to protect the public from toxic chemicals like oxybenzone in personal care products. At the request of industry lobbyists, the agency has delayed final sunscreen safety standards for nearly 30 years. Under pressure from EWG, the FDA issued a new draft of the standards in October 2007, but continues to delay finalizing them at the behest of the industry.EWG research shows that 84% of 588 name-brand sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients with significant safety concerns like oxybenzone. The last safety review for oxybenzone was done in the 1970s, and does not reflect a wealth of information developed since that time, indicating increased toxicity concerns. The FDA needs to review the safety of oxybenzone and to finalize its sunscreen safety standards so that consumers can be certain that sunscreen products they purchase are safe and effective.
Top scientists from the CDC published results in March 2008 from a national survey of 2,500 Americans, age 6 and up, showing that oxybenzone readily absorbs into the body and is present in 97% of Americans tested. Typically, women and girls have higher levels of oxybenzone in their bodies than men and boys, likely a result of differences in use of bodycare products including sunscreens.
In another recent study, it was found that mothers with high levels of oxybenzone in their bodies were more likely to give birth to underweight baby girls. Low birth weight is a critical risk factor linked to coronary heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases in adulthood.
With organizations like the Environmental Working Group advocating for safer products, I feel confident that in the near future, we won’t have to pour over the ingredient lists of everything we see in order to know if it’s safe. It’s frustrating to me that my government has done such a poor job of regulating unsafe chemicals, especially when study after study has proven their health risks.
Here are some sunscreens that are free of oxybenzone, parabens, phthalates, and have a low hazard rating on EWG’s Cosmetic Database:
- Badger All Natural Sunscreen for Face & Body
- Weleda Children’s Sun Screen
- JASON Cosmetics Chemical Free Sunblock
- Soleo Organics Chemical Free Sunscreen
- California Baby Everyday/Year-Round Sunscreen & Stick
- Burt’s Bees Chemical Free Sunscreen
- TruKid Sunny Days Face Stick
Please investigate for yourself the concerns I bring up regarding the chemicals under investigation. Choosing what’s best for your family is ultimately the most important factor to consider when making decisions about the products you put on yours and your family’s skin.
In defense of our beautiful ball of fire in the sky, aka – the Sun, it’s ok if you aren’t slathered from head to toe the minute you walk out of your home each day. Moderate sunshine is good for us; it boosts our immunity, gives us Vitamin D, and may even protect children from some auto-immune diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis.
There are also lines of clothing now that have SPF in them. A company I purchased my son’s swimwear from called One Step Ahead, has many options for sun protective clothing; as well as hats, sunglasses, sandals, ect for kids.
I wish you the best in your preparations for the Spring and Summer seasons upon us!
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This is really quite scary. It has never once occurred to me that there could be harmful stuff in the suncream I am using on my kids. I will be checking the bottles in future, thank you for bringing this to people’s attention.Whay don’t manufacturers have more of a conscience about what they sell?