Sunscreen: Still Shady
| Thu Jul. 2, 2009 3:50 PM PDT
July 4th weekend beach time is upon us, and the FDA still hasn't finalized its rules about what sunscreen manufacturers can claim on sunscreen labels. The new regulations were proposed back in 2007, and two years later, they still haven't been published. That means sunscreen manufacturers are still getting away with exaggerated claims. ("All day protection!" "Sweat proof!" "SPF 100!" Sound familiar?) The Environmental Working Group recently posted its 2009 Sunscreen Guide, and it found that three out of five sunscreens on the market still either don't work as well as they claim to or contain potentially hazardous chemicals, or both. Not exactly what you want to hear right before your holiday weekend on the beach.
On the bright side: EWG found that this year, 70 percent of sunscreen products contain strong UVA filters, compared to just 29 percent in 2008. Another improvement: This year, 19 percent fewer sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a UV blocker that scientists suspect seeps into the skin and enters the bloodstream.
Still, it's awfully hard to tell from the labels which products are safe and effective. And that's bad news for those of us who don't want to spend our summer beach days dressed like the folks in the picture.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Comments
Where is the rest of the
Submitted by bizona (not verified) on Thu Jul. 16, 2009 11:08 AM PDT.
Where is the rest of the article? I read it in the magazine, which I finished and gave to someone else to read, and wanted to share this article with a co-worker. Shoot....
Forget it, I found it. I
Submitted by bizona (not verified) on Thu Jul. 16, 2009 11:13 AM PDT.
Forget it, I found it. I was looking in the wrong place.
Thanks, Ms. Butler, for writing about this!
Post new comment
MoJo Comments: Send Us Your Feedback
We changed our spam software to better filter comments. Should you encounter any issues, please let us know.
