Planning to buy a new sunscreen that you’ve seen in the market? Better think twice before you do that. According to a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group, a non profit research organization based in Washington D.C., 4 out of 5 sunscreen lotions do not give adequate protection against the harmful rays of the sun or contain harmful chemicals.
Most of these sunscreens seem to be effective for sunburns, but their efficiency in fighting skin cancer is under question. They seem to be having little effect on the prevalence of melanoma which is the deadliest form of skin cancer. The rate of contracting skin cancer remains steady. According to the National Cancer Institute this trend is actually on a rise. According to Dr. Marianne Berwick, a melanoma specialist, who heads the Division of Epidemiology (University of New Mexico), there is no evidence that sunscreens work against melanoma.
However, the industry experts are ready with their own versions on the effectiveness and safety of sunscreens.
According to John Baily , chief scientist at the Personal Care Products Council (a trade association for the cosmetic and personal care product industry) the materials used in sunscreens are tested in a number of ways in animal studies and clinical studies before being approved for usage by the public. According to him, the EWG is taking the laboratory studies into considerations and not the ones conducted on human beings and drawing conclusions that the products are unsafe and hence to be avoided. However, when asked about the effectiveness of the sunscreens on skin cancer he agreed that scientifically it cannot be said that sunscreens protect against melanoma.
A number of scientists believe that people who apply sunscreens remain in the sun for longer periods of time thinking that the sunscreen is actually protecting them against the sun. It has been observed that FDA (Food and Drug Administration), when checking a new brand of sunscreen, asks for the verification of its effectiveness against sunburn but not against melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.
But are the sunscreen manufacturers actually at fault? Before contemplating on that we should examine how the sunscreens have been working till now. It has been found that sunscreens are effective against sunburn but not skin cancer. How? The sun emits two types of rays that are harmful to the human skin. They are UVB (ultra violet B rays) and UVA (ultra violet A rays) both of which cause sunburn. Repeated sunburn may lead to skin cancer. The sunscreens that have been developed till now protect against sunburn caused by UVB and not UVA. Now UVA is being looked upon as a causal factor for melanoma. The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) might be effective in protecting against sunburn caused by UVB and not UVA.
Now, FDA that regulates sunscreens as over-the –counter drugs is rolling out a labeling system in which the manufacturer of the sunscreen has to specify its effectiveness against UVA by May. Also the acronym SPF will be changed to mean Sunburn Protection Factor rather than Sun Protection Factor.
According to Margaret Tucker, Director of Human Genetics Program and Chief of the Genetic Epidemiology Branch (National Cancer Institute), the newer generations of sunscreens might prove to be more effective against skin cancer. She was critical of the view that there is an increased risk of skin cancer in people who stay out in the sun for longer durations after applying a sunscreen. She opines that people do not apply adequate quantities of the sunscreen while exposing themselves to the sun. They do not reapply it during the day. According to her if you sweat, you need to apply it once every twenty minutes or at least after every couple of hours.
via: SFGate
Comments
Hi Neil,
Thanks for visiting and sharing the link about the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies. I have visited the website and found some useful info there. I know modern homopathy is able to provide solutions for hair and skin problems too.
Very true, most sunblocks have far from adequate SPF protection.
Thanks for visiting Claire. I do agree with what you say. Most of these sun protection formulae available in the markets deliver far less than they actually promise.
I absolutely agree. You have to be very careful, when choosing one.
This article is totally true!! It’s sad to hear that even the FDA couldn’t catch this misguided information in order to inform and protect the public. However, I am glad to see the FDA now taking action to correctly inform the public of the new findings of both UV rays. Already being aware of the damaging effects of both UV rays I have always checked my sunscreen products. I recommend Remergent skin care products. Their products with SPF block both UVA and UVB rays. They also have a DNA Repair Formula that reverses the damaging effects from your current and past sun damage.
Nice to see you on my blog Eric. Thanks for your valuable information regarding the sunscreen solutions. I think people should try Remergent skin care products for effective sun protection. I will gather more information about the avialability of these products from their websites.
Hi Lisa !…I do agree with you when you imply that going to out in the sun with something on is much better than not protecting your skin wit anything at all. If not anything else, these sunscreens at least protect you from getting tanned. I wonder why people expect too much from a sunscreen preparation- there can be other therapeutic creams to take care of skin cancer.
Hi Neil ! …you have perfectly stated that many companies pushing medicated creams are not trustworthy. In fact many of these companies make tall promises regarding their products just to push sales. I think, a sunscreen lotion is not actually medicated to the extent of seriously preventing a disease like skin cancer. At the most it can protect you from sunburn. Yeah, I do agree with you, its better to be natural rather than use things of dubious credentials
Hi Leena! Hmmm, if this article was written for fragile and white-skinned english guys like me who get sunburn just by sitting next to a berroom lamp, then the title of the article is erroneous, I’m sorry to say.
In that case, it should have read;
”Study : 100% sunscreens found ineffective”
The only thing that works for me is to get into a barrel of crude oil with an oxygen tank and put me down a mine!!!
Seeya!
Hi Michael...Great to see you on one of my posts once again. You sure have a very very delicate skin. I wonder if an Indian infant has a skin as delicate as yours!:)
It’s great to BE on one of your posts!!
The answer to your question is probably no.
Why?
I have a god-daughter. I held her in my arms for the first time when she was just 20 hours old.
And I learned, for the first time in my life, that NO SKIN IN THE WORLD can be as soft as that of a child.
I’ll never forget....
Hi Michael ...thanks for that very honest confession. It is rather true that the skin of infants is as innocent, delicate and pure as their hearts!
But in India, the average temperature being higher than European countries and owing to greater atmospheric pollution, the skin tends to get a bit rough in comparison to their European counterparts, even if they are infants.
I am one of those that grew up spending hours on the beach towel trying to get that dark tan. And we used the good old Hawaiian Tropic cooking oil, Yikes.
Michael C is right!
I was just thinking about 80 per cent sunscreens found ineffective and you’ve really helped out. Thanks!
this is awful, how can i trust a skincare product now:((
Great article. Who would have thought that so many sun screen products are ineffective!
The failure of sunscreens is why hats and sun protective clothing that are tested for UV blocking are the only way to go. My kids are protected by Tuga
I also agree I need this products
I hardly ever used sunblock before that, despite being super fair. The smell and feel of sunblock was just too icky for me. That lead to some pretty nasty burns, especially one from a day at Crescent Beach.
The article was an enlightening one which spoke a lot of our craze and desire for lovely glowing skin.
However, there are many natural ways to acheive the same, like making a mixture of curds and cream and applying the same on your face just like a face pack. This is commonly done in Asia where climate is warm and has done wonders in keeping the skin healthy, fresh and young looking.
’Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun...’ - as a redhead I could have already told you most sunscreens were ineffective, but it is interesting to see just what a high number are not doing what they are supposed to. Sunlight is necessary in small doses to give you vitamin D to keep your skin healthy, but it is dangerous to overdo it, even with sunscreen on.
Nice blog,.
Thank you for the article!
This is quite alarming not only do these lotions cost the earth but half do not give the protection required.
Interesting article, thanks for sharing bro!
It is informative
Very interesting, this article inspired us to do our own little experiment. The results confirm how little SPF and labels mean.
I have very fair skin and since I was very young I have always tried to stay out of the sun as much as possible(luckily here in the uk this is not so difficult) mainly because I have never really trusted sunscreens.
this is not a good news. Many people using it because of their sensitive skin and in this post almost 4/5 products are not effective. Better to choose wisely and get some advice from others. thank you for this informative post
okay...so what can we do?
i am very very fair, i burn easily, i hate tans! i’m asian so the tan is an unhealthy yellow dead colour on me, not to mention if i burn it hurts and skin peels, then i break out. clearly UVB AND UVA (PA) are my enemies.
is there any sunscreens that work? ): what can i do??
Are there any sunscreens that do work?
Are there any sunscreens that do work?