“Last year it was only 40% and this year it’s 38%. “Two, three years ago 60% of the non-mineral products contained oxybenzone,” Leiba said. “We’re definitely seeing an increase in the past three to five years of the daily use moisturizer with SPF based on mineral ingredients,” she added.Īt the same time, another trend is occurring – a reduction in the use of oxybenzone in US products. “This year it’s right around 45% of all the products in the guide have mineral active ingredients, whether that be zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or a combination of both,” Burns said. The number of products containing minerals has been growing as consumers reach for products that are safer for both human health and the environment, said Carla Burns, EWG’s senior analyst of healthy living science. How to safely avoid sunburn in the age of coronavirusĪnother plus - mineral ingredients don’t appear to harm the environment. Sunscreens made with minerals physically deflect and block the sun’s rays, as opposed to sunscreens with chemical filters that absorb the UVB rays and release heat as they break down. Hawaii, the US Virgin Islands, Key West and the Pacific island of Palau currently ban the use of sunscreen products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, and more locations worldwide are considering the same.įor those who are concerned about chemicals entering their bloodstream, there are two types of mineral (not chemical) sunscreen ingredients considered safe and effective by the FDA: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Oxybenzone and octinoxate have also been linked to damage to coral reefs and marine life. Research has shown a potential link between oxybenzone and lower testosterone levels in adolescent boys, hormone changes in men, and shorter pregnancies and disrupted birth weights in babies. Seven sunscreen chemicals enter bloodstream after one use, FDA says, but don't abandon sun protection Woman applying sunscreen on her shoulder Shutterstock A 2010 study found another commonly used chemical, octinoxate, in breast milk. Those chemicals are part of a dozen that the FDA has been asking manufacturers to research for years so they can be considered GRASE or “generally recognized as safe and effective.”īesides oxybenzone and homosalate, the chemicals that need safety testing are avobenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, cinoxate, dioxybenzone, ensulizole, meradimate, padimate O and sulisobenzone.Ī 2008 Swiss study found oxybenzone or one of four other sunscreen chemicals in 85% of breast milk samples, sparking concern that newborns could be exposed. That doesn’t necessarily mean those sunscreen products are unsafe to use, the FDA said, but appropriate safety tests do need to be performed by manufacturers. Science Photo Library/Getty ImagesĪfter four days of using sunscreen, study participants still had unsafe levels of two of the chemicals – oxybenzone and homosalate – in blood samples taken 21 days after subjects had stopped application, an FDA study found. “There are lots of tools in that sun protection toolbox – sunscreen is just one of them.”Īfter a single application, a total of seven chemicals commonly found in sunscreens can be absorbed into the bloodstream at levels that exceed safety thresholds, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.Ĭonsumers should prioritize safe sun practices, like wearing a hat and a tee, in conjunction with applying sunscreen, the Environmental Working Group suggests. “Covering your skin, wearing hats, avoiding the midday sun and being careful about kids, because of their increased susceptibility,” are good choices, Leiba said. The cloth provides a little space between your skin and the rays, and also occludes a lot of the rays,” Leiba said. “A good T-shirt blocks the sun’s rays so much more effectively than a bad sunscreen. “There are at least 200 recreational sunscreens in our database that got a thumbs up.”īesides, consumers should always rely on safe sun practices first, then apply sunscreen, experts say. “The answer is not to throw up our hands and say no sunscreen is safe,” said Nneka Leiba, EWG’s vice president of healthy living science. This year, EWG analyzed an additional 500 sunscreens, bringing the total to over 1,800 products, and found that 75% did not provide adequate sun protection or included ingredients linked to harm. Is it 'Zoom face' or is the pandemic aging you?
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