Sunscreen
I am a believer in using sunscreen. I know it is the easiest way to enjoy the sun and keep from getting burnt. Recently though, my ideas about it protecting against cancer have been challenged. I came across a website for the Environmental Working Group (EWG) where they review sunscreens. I was shocked when none of the brands that I am familiar with were rated as good ones. Some of the best ones were brands I have never heard of and haven't seen in my local drugstore or Wal-Mart. The site is very informative and offered a lot of information about what is and is not in many sunscreens and why we should be concerned about it.
First, SPF on the label indicates the protection from UVB rays, which are the rays that cause you to get sunburns. Protection against UVA rays is needed to avoid skin damage and triggering the most common skin cancers. The problem is there is no SPF type rating to put on the bottle so that you know how well a sunscreen protects against UVA rays. Yes, many sunscreens claim that they protect against them, but they don't describe how well the product does it. EWG claims that you want a sunscreen that provides good protection against both UVA and UVB. They also note that really high SPF ratings contain more chemicals and do not provide the good balance to protect against UVA and UVB rays. Their ratings are also impacted by other chemicals present in the products that may be linked with other health issues. You can read more about it on their site.
Their site does allow you to search for your favorite product and see what the rating was for it and they do a nice job of providing information about where you can find the sunscreens that they mention in their ratings.
Mom is always game for indulging my paranoia (thank you, Mom!) and went to Whole Foods to see what products she could find that we could see and touch. She found one that has a great rating called, Badger. It doesn't have the nice dry touch that my Neutrogena one has, but if it is better for my and baby girl's health, we'll have to get used to feeling a little goopy. Maybe those clothes with sun protection in them don't look as dorky as I used to think they did.
First, SPF on the label indicates the protection from UVB rays, which are the rays that cause you to get sunburns. Protection against UVA rays is needed to avoid skin damage and triggering the most common skin cancers. The problem is there is no SPF type rating to put on the bottle so that you know how well a sunscreen protects against UVA rays. Yes, many sunscreens claim that they protect against them, but they don't describe how well the product does it. EWG claims that you want a sunscreen that provides good protection against both UVA and UVB. They also note that really high SPF ratings contain more chemicals and do not provide the good balance to protect against UVA and UVB rays. Their ratings are also impacted by other chemicals present in the products that may be linked with other health issues. You can read more about it on their site.
Their site does allow you to search for your favorite product and see what the rating was for it and they do a nice job of providing information about where you can find the sunscreens that they mention in their ratings.
Mom is always game for indulging my paranoia (thank you, Mom!) and went to Whole Foods to see what products she could find that we could see and touch. She found one that has a great rating called, Badger. It doesn't have the nice dry touch that my Neutrogena one has, but if it is better for my and baby girl's health, we'll have to get used to feeling a little goopy. Maybe those clothes with sun protection in them don't look as dorky as I used to think they did.
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