Safer Sun Protection
(This article is adapted from the July 2010 Consumer Reports magazine and Consumer ReportsHealth.org)
The safest way to protect yourself and children at the beach is to wear sunglasses and a hat, and to cover up with a shirt. And fortunately there also are sunscreens that guard against ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation to help prevent sunburn, wrinkles, and certain skin cancers.
Recommended sprays and lotions
Consumer Reports tests of 12 products found four sprays that protect a shade better than the rest. Several other products including lotions were also effective and recommended. If you don’t want to breathe in the chemicals from a spray, which can be tricky to apply on windy days, you can choose one of the recommended lotions.
Buy a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 (plenty for most people) and one that is labeled very water resistant.
Remember, the SPF number on the label, or sun-protection factor, is for protection against UVB radiation only. There is no protection factor for UVA radiation on labels, though the Food and Drug Administration has proposed a system of one to four stars, which they are scheduled to release in October 2010.
High and low-rated brands in recent tests
The top four sunscreens tested, which were all sprays, provided very good UVA protection and excellent UVB protection, and met their SPF claim even after treated skin was in water for 80 minutes. Each had a slight or moderately intense floral or citrus scent and left little residue on skin. They are: Target Up & Up Sport (cost per ounce: 88 cents); Walgreens Sport Continuous ($1.33); Banana Boat Sport Performance Continuous ($1.60); Aveeno Continuous Protection ($2);
Three recommended lotions were: Coppertone Water Babies (cost per ounce: $1.38); No-Ad with Aloe and Vitamin E (59 cents); and Badger ($4.83).
A low-rated product, Burt's Bees Chemical-free with Hempseed oil, contains the ingredient, titanium dioxide, but in the tests it didn’t absorb the entire UVA spectrum as effectively as alternative ingredients like avobenzone. It also did not claim to be water-resistant.
Nanoparticles and health risks
Research has raised some concerns about the potential health and environmental risks of nanoparticles used in some sunscreens. Sunscreen makers are not required to identify those very small, engineered ingredients on their product labels.
However, you can check out the list of ingredients on the sunscreen label to see if they have done so. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are common mineral-based active ingredients in sunscreens that are often engineered to be nano-size, in part to make them look clearer on skin.
If you want to avoid these nano-scale ingredients, choose sunscreens that use other active ingredients instead. You won't have to settle for less sun protection. Consumer Reports past tests of sunscreens found no correlation between effectiveness and the presence of those ingredients.
Bottom line advice for safe use
• Wear tightly woven clothing and a hat, limit your sun time, and seek shade during the hottest hours of the day.
• Until there are adequate safety assessments on nanoparticles and health risks, people who wish to avoid exposure to those ingredients should choose sunscreens that don’t list titanium dioxide
or zinc oxide on their label.
• For full-body protection, adults should apply 2 to 3 tablespoons of lotion, and do so at least 15 to 30 minutes before going out. Larger adults may need even more.
• Reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating.
• Don't spray or rub sunscreen on clothes. Most of the products stained fabrics when applied directly and left for a day.
• Don’t buy combo sunscreen and insect repellent products. Insect repellents may not be safe if reapplied frequently, whereas sunscreen needs to be reapplied to be effective.
Related links
Sunscreen tips for babies and children
Check for nano ingredients While most product labels do not reveal the presence of these ingredients, some do. So look at labels, especially on items that you apply to your skin. (Nanoparticles sealed in coatings or composites probably create little direct exposure.) Labeling at least lets consumers decide whether to buy a product despite unknown risks. And go to www.nanotechproject.org/44, part of the Web site of the Wilson Center’s Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, which lists hundreds of products advertised or labeled as containing nano ingredients.
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