Ok – I don’t know about you, but I for one would really like it if we could just feel safe and good about using sunscreen. But it seems that every few months there’s something new to worry about. And now there’s the newest – there are concerns about retinyl palmitate (RP) – a common additive in sunscreens.

Retinyl palmitate is a type of Vitamin A that is used in many skin creams. (Note: it is not in any Garden Girl products). It is somewhat similar to Retinol but it is weaker.  And according to a report on Reuters this week:

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been reviewing data from several studies on a potential link between retinyl palmitate (RP), a common sunscreen additive and cases of skin cancer, since July 2009, but has yet to issue any rulings or guidelines, Senator Charles Schumer said.”

The study they refer to found that “tumors and lesions developed up to 21 percent faster in lab animals coated in retinyl palmitate-laced cream than animals treated with a cream that did not contain RP.”

So again, could be hype. But sounds like something that even the FDA is taking note of and investigating. So my advice is try to avoid it. And yes, I find it frustrating and depressing.  Making it even worse is that my favorite of the “not so bad” sunscreens (Trader Joe’s Face & Body Sunscreen) has the dreaded Retinyl Palmitate. Sigh.

Now my best recommendation is the sunscreen I discovered via a suggestion from a Garden Girl customer – Caribbean Sol. Check it out. It’s natural, biodegradable, eco-safe and reef-friendly! There aren’t any parabens, and they use Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Still takes a little effort to get it rubbed in, but it’s better than Blue Lizard Baby. Plus the ingredients are MUCH better than the Blue Lizard products. And not only that, they do say it’s water resistant as well. You can but it online at www.caribbean-sol.com and it’s also sold in most Whole Foods markets. Let me know if you like it – I’m thinking of selling it next year!

Did you know that skin cancer accounts for more than 50% of all cancers combined? Or that one person dies every HOUR from skin cancer? These are just 2 of the 8 Shocking Facts About Skin Cancer from About.com.

According to information on The Skin Cancer Foundation website, a “recent poll by the research company GfK Roper showed that 58 percent of people are concerned today about skin cancer. Yet only 11 percent of people use an SPF 15 or higher daily.” Scary, isn’t it? This is a huge issue – especially with our obsession of looking tan. Tanning bed usage has sky rocketed – and thankfully now the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel has started to really take note. In March they met and agreed that tanning beds need to be more regulated. They are even considering banning the use of tanning beds by minors. And why shouldn’t they? Tanning beds in my mind are equivalent to cigarettes. It’s not a matter of IF they are doing damage, it’s a matter of WHEN the person will experience the damaging effects. As the FDA has stated – no tan is a safe tan.

How is it that we can learn that something is dangerous (sun damage), find solutions (sunscreen and sun avoidance), and then simultaneously develop this enormous tanning industry? What makes anyone thing those beds are a good idea? Sure, your skin may look tan – but there are safer ways to do that if you insist on a tanned look. Self tanners have improved tremendously so you can actually get a good, natural (and SAFE) tanned look easily and less expensively than at a tanning salon. Not to mention the fact that tanning has been proven to age skin. Have you taken a look at people who were sun-worshipers years ago? They are the ones that look 10 years older than they are.

So in this Skin Cancer Awareness Month, take a minute to remind yourself of the importance of sun avoidance and the use of sunscreen. I know – no one likes to glob the stuff on, but a few minutes of messiness is worth your skin’s health. And check out the Skin Cancer Foundation’s  Prevention Guide for more tips.

On a related note, I want to add that I hear from many customers who would like to see Garden Girl products include sunscreen. And I am in total agreement, believe me. No one wants our products to have an SPF rating more than I do! However, while the FDA regulations are fantastic for the health of your skin and for consumer safety, they make it nearly impossible for a company of our size to enter into the sunscreen market. So until we have our own products, we continue to recommend that you use a sunscreen every time you are out and about – whether it be at a soccer game or at the beach or out for a run. Garden Girl face creams can easily be layered with your favorite sunscreen so you benefit from the anti-aging properties of the face cream and the sun protection from the sunscreen. And if you choose your sunscreen carefully, it will not cause breakouts or clog pores.

Does anyone else find it incredibly frustrating that we can “do what we’re told” and trust that what we are being told is the right thing – then come to find out we’ve been steered wrong?

OK you’re probably wondering what the heck I’m talking about. But here’s where I’m coming from. We grew up wearing tanning oil – and maybe if it was REALLY sunny we’d wear Coppertone which had an SPF of maybe 4 or something. Then came the big scare. SKIN CANCER. We were damaging our skin permanently and seriously risking malignant melanomas. So we slathered on SPF 15, 30 and 45. Fair-skinned people like me never left the house without sunscreen.

Fast forward a decade or two. Now the newest discovery is that a key ingredient in most sunscreens – oxybenzone – can actually be causing more damage than the good it does. ARRRGGHHHH. The following is taken from EWG.org:

“A new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveals that 97% of Americans are contaminated with a widely-used sunscreen ingredient called oxybenzone that has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage. A companion study published just one day earlier revealed that this chemical is linked to low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. “

Of course, the FDA says it is safe. But guess what? The last time they reviewed it was in 1970. Maybe it’s time for the FDA to ignore the Cosmetics Industry lobbyists and do the right thing to fully investigate this and other harmful toxins that have been deemed “safe.”

I am beginning my own review of natural sunscreens and once I choose one that I think is the best I will offer it at www.gardengirlskincare.com. I’ll keep you posted!