![]() The ingredients block UVA and UVB effectively and safely. Look for Zinc and/or Titanium as the active ingredients. Sunblock choice needs to be focused on ingredients. If your sunscreen is doing its job then you will reduce the chances for premature aging of the skin, sunburns, and skin cancer. I often hear- ‘I don’t really get sunburns so I don’t have to use them.’ This is a problem because research and practice have shown that those with a tendency to tan easier than burn still get skin cancer but it is often diagnosed at a later stage as many are simply thinking they are not at risk for it. This is an important point to emphasize as many people who do not burn easily in the sun are under the false impression that they do not need to use sunscreens. It’s important to note that the use of sunscreen is not just to prevent sunburn. The main use of sunscreen is to prevent your skin from experiencing damage from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Should I still use sunscreen given the risk? In recent years there has been tremendous scrutiny over the potential endocrine disruption caused by these products as well as their impact on aquatic life, coral in particular. There are a number of chemical sunscreen ingredients with the most common being oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate. These can work well but may not always be able to absorb all of the UV that your skin is exposed to allowing some UV rays to come through. Products with chemical sunscreen ingredients contain compounds that absorb UV to prevent it from interacting with the skin. Oftentimes these can be referred to as sunblocks because they are physically blocking UV from interacting with the skin. Examples of physical sunscreens include products that contain zinc or titanium. Products containing physical sunscreen ingredients work by blocking UV from interacting with the skin. The active ingredients available are generally broken down into two categories: physical sunscreens and chemical sunscreens. Sunscreens are skincare products with active ingredients intended to absorb or reflect UV. What should people understand about the ingredients in their sunscreen? Of the 72 products that tested positive for benzene by Valisure, only one had the word babies on the label. That being said, I often recommend consideration to seek products with the word ‘babies’ on the label as these products are predominantly mineral sunscreens containing only zinc and /or titanium. It is difficult to answer this question with certainty as, again, the benzene was not an active ingredient but may have contaminated the batches. Valisure did release a list of products that did not have benzene detected here.Īny tips on how to quickly identify a product with benzene in it based on the products tested? Remember, this could have been from the manufacturing process and only have impacted certain batches from these sunscreen types and not necessarily all of the sunscreens of these particular types. There are also some spray antiperspirants and dry shampoos have also been tested and shown to be at risk. Lastly, sunscreens are not the only products at risk. It is also important to note that this issue could be from the manufacturing process and only have impacted certain batches from these sunscreen types. In other words, not all Neutrogena products tested for example contained benzene, only certain types. Please note that there is no consistency across brand names or product types (i.e., lotion, spray, cream, etc.). Valisure has petitioned the FDA to have these products recalled.įor a full list of products tested follow this link. The presence of benzene in these products may be the result of the manufacturing process. It is unclear how benzene made its way into the products, however, it is not listed as an ingredient on the label which makes determining products to choose much more difficult. How was benzene found in sunscreens? Is it an ingredient?Īlmost 300 sunscreen products sold routinely over the counter, including common and popular brand names were tested by a company called Valisure. Low levels of exposure can cause dizziness, headaches, and tiredness. The hematotoxic effects include reducing red blood cells, reducing platelet counts, reducing white blood cell counts, decreased hemoglobin, and the risk for acute myelogenous leukemia. Most of the studies that evaluate benzene and its impact on human health are with regards to exposure to gasoline. It is considered hematotoxic that has been linked to blood cancers including leukemia. "27% of sunscreen samples tested contained benzene [a known carcinogen," according to analyses by Valisure.īenzene is a known carcinogen.
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