And in the "This is not news I wanted" category

[cupcake_goth]

Some ingredients in some sunscreens may accelerate the growth of malignant skin cancers.

And the handy database to check which sunscreens are good or bad? Argh, my usual Neutrogena SPF100 is listed in the "avoid" category. Time to start researching for a new sunblock, I guess. And be thankful that I carry a parasol.

Comments

[loree.livejournal.com]

Fie and damn, my Peter Thomas Roth Uber-Dry matte is on the avoid list also.

[stroppy-baggage.livejournal.com]

Okay, that's so not good.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

I couldn't find a listing for the specific Olay one we use, either. But on the whole, the Olay sunblocks seem to get decent ratings. I'll just have to content myself with a lower SPF rating. Whiiiiine.

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

On the bright side (bad pun), even though I know psychologically it *sounds* comforting to use one with an extremely high spf, the actual difference between the protection levels of the spf numbers over 35 start to get really miniscule. For example, there's a vastly smaller difference between 50-100+ than there is between 2-30.

[mimi-monsterr.livejournal.com]

yeah I read this too, anything above a SPF 30 isn't really much different.

[sirriamnis.livejournal.com]

Damn it! I use that, too!

[shirtlifterbear.livejournal.com]

My Neutrogena 70 spray AND face block are both on the avoid list!

DAMMIT!

[leenerella]

UGH. This is ...frustrating.

[edited for more appropriate icon]

[kambriel.livejournal.com]

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends SPF's of at least 15, which block 93% of UVB. While SPF's higher than 30 block only 4% more UVB...

And of course the difference between 30-100 is even more minute than that. If switching to a more natural, lower spf, I hope this at least eases your mind a bit. Our minds like to think that a 100 would be twice as strong as a 50, but as the numbers go higher beyond a certain point, the difference becomes only a fraction of a percent.

For example, spf 35 blocks 97.5%, but spf 50+ only blocks 98% ~ only half a percent of difference.

Of course there's always the standby of keeping vampire hours and wearing long black veils ;)

[mimimanderly.livejournal.com]

I like Blue Lizard for the face because it is the only one I've tried which doesn't make me feel or look greasy and it doesn't break me out. It got a bad rating for containing Oxybenzone. Meh... I'll still use it. I don't venture into the full sun much anyway.

[solstice-lilac.livejournal.com]

And in the "This is not news I wanted" category..

Hm! I couldn't have said this better, though I appreciate the link, too. Both my face cream and body lotion are on the "caution" list. Time to consider a change.. and keep that parasol handy.

[aniline.livejournal.com]

Whoo, mine are pretty good! I coat my face, upper chest and arms with sunscreen daily so I asked my dermatologist what she recommended, and she was fond of Eucerin. :D I use Eucerin 30 SPF (not great for UVA, but not horrible) daily moisturizer and "La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizing Cream SPF 15 with Mexoryl SX" which isn't on their chart thing but I think would score a 2. heh. Currently Mexoryl seems to be the favorite of dermatologists for UVA protection. It's a little bit greasier than the Eucerin stuff though, so I use it on my arms & chest, with a little bit on my nose & cheeks with the Eucerin everywhere else. (My Eucerin stuff got a 3)

[alexiarnps.livejournal.com]

I decided long ago that basically anything mass produced needs to never by put on a human. The chemicals used to make things shelf-stable or "consistant" (meaning they look the same the day you buy as they do the day you use the last bit) are needless chemicals you smear all over your body.

Sorry to be a Cassandra about this too, but there are easliy three dozen chemicals that act as synthetic hormones, are endocrine disruptors or cause cancer (and I don't mean can, I mean there are found in live tumors) that I know you wear every day based on the brands you choose. The toxicologist I work with? Dr. Bronner's, shea butter, jojoba oil, raw pigments, mascara from Greece and Burt's Bees Chapstick. The end.

[alexiarnps.livejournal.com]

"They're", not "there".

I'll go commit seppuku now...

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

So what is my best option for sunblock? Other than carrying around a parasol, which I do anyway?

[lilmartini.livejournal.com]

I recommend la roche-posay. You have to order it but it's on the good list: http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/finding-the-best-sunscreens/312752/La-RochePosay-Anthelios--Sunscreen-Cream/

[dravvie.livejournal.com]

Well, this goes along with something that I had read anyhow, that really, when people use stronger sunscreen, they spend more time out, because they feel slightly safer, and the people who use the stronger sunscreen, are the paler people like you or I, who should start out slower in the sun, and are more likely to burn during a sudden prolonged exposure.

I'll stick with my sunscreen even though it got a 7. This is an interesting study, but I'm all ready high risk for skin cancer, and I don't really believe the words of the interwebs study over the words of my derm's recommendations.

[tinkerbell86ca.livejournal.com]

Odd, that list didn't have Avon sun blocks on there . . . Oh well.

I'll just finish up my bottle of Hawaiian Tropics and move on to Avon stuff because I can get it on the cheep (I sell the stuff, hey, I get discounts!)

I should also start bringing a parasol with me when I venture outside of the house . . . they sure are pretty!

[javagoth.livejournal.com]

Well crap. I really liked the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch sun block but it's on the studies shit list. Dang - and that stuff wasn't cheap either!

It feels great going on and doesn't make me feel greasy and worked decently. Alas.

I *do* tend to stay out of the sun, wear hats and such but when I was going to be out and about, at the zoo, at Medfest, etc I would rely on that stuff to help protect me and my tattoos... **sigh**

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I've had about half a dozen friends diagnosed with vitamin D deficiencies recently, & I'm convinced that sunscreen overuse + living indoors @ computers is to blame. The sun is not necessarily a Glowing Orb of Evil; the rays just need to be lived in carefully.

At Y!Green, we've been writing about the EWG list for years (they give us advance notice), & I comb thru it each year to replenish my supply -- for when I know I will be outdoors for long periods, such as at SCA events or at the beach (yeah yeah). California Baby & Bullfrog are two faves.

But I do not wear sunscreen on a daily basis. I stay out of the sun around noon. I cover up. If I'm out walking, I wear a hat or carry a parasol. That's it. I'm a bit annoyed that all moisturizers & even makeup seems to have an SPF these days -- it's really overkill.

[aka-paloma.livejournal.com]

Huh. The brand I use isn't listed. I guess it's sunscreen Russian roulette for me. (It did work really well in keeping me from getting tanned in sunny desert climes like Egypt and Las Vegas, so I hope it's not too deadly for me to use.)

[blackrosemortal.livejournal.com]

I loveee my neutrogena spf100....Waaahhhh!

I'd be curious to hear your picks for the new sunscreen

[dirtyhalo3379.livejournal.com]

First time in my life I am happy sunscreen breaks me out in fever blisters... good gods!

[mimi-monsterr.livejournal.com]

ughh, so we risk cancer being in the sun with no protection, and risk cancer wearing sunscreen! I suppose in this day and age you just can't win, everything seems to be bad for you.
I use factor 35 Nivea sunscreen,that's not on there but it doesn't contain the two 'good' chemicals the website talks about. :( I also have Banana Boat Kids (the highest protection I could find at 50) and that got a 'Caution' :(

[snh-snh-snh.livejournal.com]

Drat! Mine is on there too!
And it looks like all of the best ones have low spf s. Oh my, this is a problem....
Thanks for the warning and link!

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

I love my parasol, but I do also like having my hands free... I tried bringing my parasol to Maker Faire last weekend and I think it spent more time on the ground than over my head because I kept needing to put it down to DO THINGS.

And of course I got a sun burn :P

(but at least it was a COOL sunburn!) - http://www.flickr.com/photos/plymouths/4634939580/

(that's due to wearing a temporary tattoo in the shape of gears that I designed)

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

Yeah, didn't need to read about that this morning. Put my Neutrogena on anyway.

That retinyl palmitate is in a lot of skin products, IIRC, not just sunscreen.

[brockulfsen.livejournal.com]

In Australia we're starting to look at UVA as well. Of course here in winter you can get burnt at 9:00am after 15 minutes in the sun.

Cursed Ozone Hole.

[theblackdeer.livejournal.com]

From what I understand, Vitamin A/Retinol is ok to use at night, just not when you're in the sun and especially not in a product with sunscreen that you might be wearing outdoors for long periods of time. Anyone want to clarify if I'm right on this? Otherwise, I may have to chuck my Retin-A, too. ugh :(

[bijouxdejais.livejournal.com]

Is there really so much sunshine in Seattle as to merit SPF 100? (I'm a Midwesterner so I'm unfamiliar with Pacific Northwest weather.)

Yep

[cinnamonteal.livejournal.com]

Well, sort of. We get this weird weather condition where it *looks* hazy/cloudy and yet enough light gets through to where you can cast a shadow (and pick up quite the sunburn while you're at it). We also have a fair number of weeks on end with no cloud cover to speak of.

[bittergourd.livejournal.com]

Rain happens a quarter of the year. Winter gets gloomy.

Spring and Summer are very sunny.

Also, even on cloudy days, you can still get a burn.

[mb2u]

I am now convinced that everything in life gives you cancer, heart attacks, etc. I'd move to a yurt in Siberia but then someone'll tell me yurts give you cancer...

[aka-paloma.livejournal.com]

Seriously, THIS.

[typsy-gypsy.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this info/link!

I got a caution because of vitamin A on my 50+ Ocean Potion

[blutsauger.livejournal.com]

Over here in Germany they don't even sell anything over SPF 50 and no brand is allowed to call a sunscreen a sunblocker because it might mislead people into staying in the sun much too long.
My sunscreen with SPF 30 (which of course does not appear on that list) comes from a private brand of a drugstore and is UVA/UVB balanced, contains no retinyl palmitate, but titanium dioxide (though not nanosized, I guess) and a helluva lot of other ingredients I couldn't even pronounce. Plus, I try to keep out of the sun so much my family always roll their eyes at me when I insist on having the shadow of a parasol protecting me when eating outside on our terrace.

[theblackdeer.livejournal.com]

This is why I buy Avene sunscreen from Europe. They have much higher standards of safety when it comes to allowed ingredients and Avene uses Tinsorb in their sunscreens, which is minimally absorbed by the skin and photostable (and not available in the US yet). I use Avene SPF 50 Tres Haute Protection Emulsion since I have combination skin and it is fairly matte. It's nice under makeup, too. This sunscreen has the highest PPD on the market aside from another Peter Thomas Roth sunscreen that I can't afford, and it's supposedly fairly toxic, anyway.

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

Arg! I've been using Neutrogena too! Back to the REI TiO2, I guess.

[theda-bara.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, all of my sunscreens are either from Japan or Korea, so I guess I'm kinda playing Russian roulette as well with my sun protection.

I still carry a parasol as well, but not having enough hands too do things with gets on my nerves at times.

[heir-of-timur.livejournal.com]

Oh the irony.
I had no idea SPF100 existed. :| I hate tanning with a passion and the highest I ever found was SPF60, for kids.

[girlghoul.livejournal.com]

That's the same one I use. Please let me know which one you decide to use instead. I'd love to know what's equal to it.