The Environmental Working Group Blasts Sunscreens

The Environmental Working Group is an environmental think tank based in Washington, D.C. that attempts to protect the public from environmental toxins, promote healthy nutrition and expose questionable consumer products. Each year, they publish a report on sunscreens and their effects on preventing skin cancer and premature skin aging. They concluded that sunscreens do not prevent melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Sunscreens with a high sun protection factor (SPF) encourage people to stay out in the sun too long. Most sunscreens contain vitamin A additives, which may speed the development of skin cancer. European sunscreens contain more UVA ray-filtering chemicals and better protect the skin than American products. Most people don’t use enough sunscreen and don’t apply it often enough to protect from skin damage. Some sunscreens contain chemicals that disrupt hormone regulation. You can get a copy of the report from The Environmental Working Group’s website, www.ewg.org. (EWG’s Guide to Sunscreen, published online May 2, 2015)