There are things that we take for granted, things we neglect, things that we really know nothing about. Now, it’s not your fault, after all, you have a life that keeps you busy. You have your career, your spouse, your children, etc. I would be willing to make a bet that most of you have a reading list a mile long and yet, I think it’s safe to say that most all of you never have the time.
The Washington Post[1] published an article titled: “What you need to know about the chemicals in your sunscreen” This article points out that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has report recently about the health effects of sunscreens with chemical ingredients such as oxybenzone and avobenzone, substances shown to protect skin from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can cause sunburns and skin cancer. They have called for more research on the safety and effectiveness of these chemicals and is asking the sunscreen industry to provide additional safety information on 12 common chemical sunscreen ingredients, including oxybenzone, avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octisalate and octocrylene.
Among their concerns is that absorption of these chemicals through the skin is “higher than previously believed” and may lead to skin irritation, hormonal disruption and even skin cancer. What’s even scarier is that they have advised that pregnant women not apply it because it can also be dangerous to the unborn child. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has advised parents that it’s best to not use sunscreen with oxybenzone on their kids.