Three Quarters of Sunscreens Not Safe

Even with the FDA regulations and research on sunscreens, can we trust the products? Studies for the market of sunscreens for 2012 indicate that only one quarter of the products on the market is safe. Another area will also be scrutinized over the next year. Some are already making their accusations but at this time, there seems to be only speculations and no scientific proof. If proven, then everyone will know for sure.

This speculation has to do with nano-sized particles of zinc oxide in sunscreens. This will be researched over this summer and hopefully we will have an answer before next summer. So for now everyone is promoting their headlines, but when you get to the reading, they do say “may” cause cancer. There also is concern about titanium dioxide.

Yes, there are people on both sides of any issue and here we have the Environmental Working Group on one side, and some, but not all dermatologists on the other side. Both sides do agree that people should use sunscreens. The disagreement is about which works best, how often to apply, and safety of chemicals used in the product. The FDA has now come forward to eliminate some of the ambiguous terms manufacturers have been using. The words waterproof, sweatproof, and sunblock are now not allowed, but you may see "water-resistant," "sweat-resistant," and just plain "sunscreen". I wish this would be enforced, as there is still much of this on local shelves. I have looked and reported this to store managers, but it is not taken off the shelves. The FDA does need to enforce what they mandate.

The good outcome of FDA finally issuing some rules is that now they can be revised to make sunscreens more effective. EWG has been a leader in getting manufacturers to improve products and for the last three years there has been improvements; however, there is more to be accomplished when three quarters of the sunscreens on the market still are of poor quality and do not meet the needs of people or often are not even meeting standards. Until some heavy fines are levied against manufacturers for mislabeling and false advertising, we will probably continue to see inferior products on store shelves. Some heavy fines should also be levied against store chains and other outlets that bring out what remains from prior years inventory for sale.

Read about sunscreens here is this Medscape article and here for the WebMD discussion. Although I can't recommend it, for those that need to be positive about what they are purchasing, check out EWG's website here.

What? FDA Has Sunscreen Rules?

On June 14, 2011, and 33 years late, the FDA FINALLY issued a rules statement about sunscreens. This has been long-awaited and much needed for assisting consumers in deciphering the hype about sunscreens.

Sunscreen labels will now have a statement about being a broad spectrum to show the offer some protection against ultraviolet A radiation (UVA) as well as ultraviolet B radiation (UVB). Now the maximum SPF level a product can claim will be “50+”. This maximum is because the FDA says there is no convincing evidence that SPF levels higher that 50 have any meaningful effect.

FDA did stand firm in insisting that sunscreens claiming swim/sweat protection specify how many minutes the protection lasts. This means testing and published results for the FDA to verify. The FDA has also evaluated data and set up testing and labeling requirements for sunscreen products, so that manufacturers can modernize their product information and this will enable consumers to become informed on which products offer the greatest benefit.

UVB is responsible for sunburn and plays a major part in the causation of skin cancer and affects the outer layer of skin only. UVA is less intense than UVB, but is up to 50 times more prevalent than UVB. It penetrates to the deeper layers of the skin and is the dominant tanning factor and is linked to skin aging. While it may cause skin cancer, it can damage skin DNA.

Will the manufacturers be allowed to claim that their product prevents skin cancer? Yes, if they protect against UVA and have as SPF of 15 or higher. Products will need to specify if they protect only against UVB (SPF rating only) or whether the protect against UVA and UVB (SPF rating plus “Broad Spectrum” claim.

Since consumer groups have been waiting since 1978 for new rules, most were expecting more and are of course claiming that this just scratches the surface of what need to be accomplished. Of course they have lots of expectations after waiting 33 years for even this.

The new rules will take effect in one year for most manufacturers, although those with annual sales of less than $25,000 have two years to comply.

Read the article from medscape here. And my blog early about sunscreens here.

Diabetes and Sunscreens

Have you been out in the sun lately? Have you gotten your first sunburn? If you are a person with diabetes, did the sunburn make you blood glucose levels go up? Most people with diabetes have this problem of managing their blood glucose levels when they get sunburned. I did not say tanned. Tanning it totally another way of living, but becoming sunburned should not happen if you wish to manage diabetes effectively.

This brings us to the question of how best to prevent sunburns. Each year the sunscreen and sunblock creams and lotions are improving. The sun protection factor (SPF) is better and more effective. A couple of years ago, a SPF rating of 15 was considered a good product. Today the better sunscreens require a SPF rating of 30 and some are as high as SPF 100.

I do not follow the rules recommended by most dermatologists. They recommend staying out of the sun as much as possible. They worry about skin cancer and other skin problems that can happen with exposure to the sun. They want you to cover up as much as possible by wearing long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, and stay in the shade if possible.

There are several common sense rules that need to be used to prevent sunburn. Use a good sunscreen – with a SPF of 15 and preferably higher. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out in the sun. Apply the sunscreen liberally as most sunscreens now recommend. Reapply sunscreen frequently – at least every hour if you remain exposed to the sun. Reapply more frequently if you are swimming or perspiring a lot. If you have a skin type that burns easily, then consider using the recommendations of the dermatologists.

The SPF rating does not consider the damage caused the UVA (ultraviolet A) rays which is responsible for aging. It is therefore advised to look for and purchase a sunscreen that has a broad spectrum protection for UVA and UVB (ultraviolet B) rays.
UVB rays are the ones that cause the burning that many people suffer from.

Skin types normally are listed as six types. They range from type 1 to type 6. This means that a person with type 1 skin always burns easily, never tans, and is extremely sun-sensitive. Type 6 means a person that never burns, deeply pigmented, and has sun-insensitive skin. Read about the six different types here.

If you are planning on being outdoors and not in the shade for long periods of time, be sure to liberally apply sunscreen. Do not forget your lips. Find a good lip gloss with a SPF of at least 15 or higher and apply regularly.

One point to remember is that the sunscreens do not require FDA approval and thus may not be the best for us. Europe has the best sunscreens available. In the US manufacturers can make any health claims they desire and do not have to provide proof to any regulatory agency.   CORRECTION:  As of June 14, 2011, the FDA has issued rules for sunscreens, and please read about it on my blog here.

Here are some additional sources to read. Article 1, Article 2, and my blog from May 2010.