"SPF values do not reflect a product’s ability to protect from UVA rays, which penetrate the skin more deeply and are associated with skin aging and cancer," the EWG site says. The sun emits two three different types of UV rays and SPF rankings only measures how well a sunscreen blocks one of them: UVB rays, the main cause of sunburn and the most dangerous skin cancers. The Centers for Disease Control recommends using one with an SPF of at least 15, the American Cancer Society suggests 30 or higher.īut the SPF rating can be misleading. Sunscreens are rated for their sun protection factor, or SPF. The Food and Drug Administration has warned about some common sunscreen ingredients because of concerns that they may actually harm skin or disrupt the hormone system, such as oxybenzone (and some studies have suggested that oxybenzone may hurt coral reefs once it gets in the water). The nonprofit organization Environmental Working Group (EWG), which tests sunscreens every year, has found in the past that many sunscreens marketed for children were more harmful than helpful and actually scored too low to be fully effective. Many sunscreens sound good from the label but may offer little to no actual protection. Watch Video: Does the level of SPF sunscreen matter? What experts say is necessary Here are the biggest myths about sunscreen. At least two people die of skin cancer in the United States every hour, and one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the time they turn 70, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation.īut skin cancer is also the most easily preventable cancer, as long as you know what you're doing. The American Cancer Society estimates that 9,640 people will be diagnosed with melanoma of the skin in Florida this year. That smooth, even tan you got by the pool? That is, essentially, a radiation burn from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, and too much exposure can cause out-of-control growth of abnormal cells and may lead to the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. But you need to protect your skin while you do it. Some of us have to work outside for long periods of time, some of us enjoy long hikes or working in the garden, and some of us just want to touch some grass for a few minutes. You get exercise, you experience the beauty of the Sunshine State, and you reduce your stress. Floridians don't wait for summer.īeing outside is great. It's summertime in Florida, which means fun in the sun, cool drinks, and, possibly, skin cancer. In addition to oxybenzone and parabens, the list includes octinoxate, octocrylene, triclosan, para-aminobenzoic acid (known as PABA), camphor, and microbeads or other small bits of plastic.Watch Video: Florida temps are rising, here are 10 tips to stay cool Free of other ingredients that may harm coral: Downs compiled a small slew of chemicals that aren’t great for reefs in Haereticus’s HEL List.If a sunscreen advertises aloe or another plant component, it likely contains preservatives needed to keep that plant fresh, Downs told us, so don’t get those formulas if reef protection is your priority. Sunscreens with parabens can be hard to identify, as parabens are often not listed in the ingredients. No parabens: These preservatives are another virus-assisting, reef-bleaching culprit.Most mineral sunscreens are lotions, anyway. Lotion, not spray: Each time you use a spray sunscreen at the beach, some ends up on the sand, which in turn ends up in the ocean.Water resistant: All sunscreens wash off in water, but the better they are at sticking to your skin, the less they will wind up in the ocean with the reefs.(Danovaro is still concerned about non-nano zinc oxide, but in the US it’s the best option we have.) Particles under a hundred nanometers (in this context, considered “nano”) can be bad news for sea creatures that ingest them, like brine shrimp, and in turn the things that eat the shrimp. Some sunscreens use a combination of the two. Minerals only: The only two ingredients in a reef-safe sunscreen should be non-nano zinc oxide or non-nano titanium dioxide.
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