Now that summer is officially here, I thought I’d post this for those of you who haven’t seen it – it’s EWG’s 2010 Sunscreen Guide. This is a great resource for helping you to select a sunscreen, including a list of their top picks. There is even a list of sunscreens that don’t use physical blockers (like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) – but they make it clear that there are trade-offs to using those products, namely that “all non-mineral products contain at least one sunscreen chemical considered to be a potential hormone disruptor, and many offer only moderate or weak UVA protection.”

In addition to recommending sunscreens, EWG also has a very interesting perspective about the “surprising facts about sunscreen”. In this, they not only highlight the Vitamin A issue I mentioned in a previous post More Concerns About Sunscreen, but they also mention controversy about the impact of sunscreen:

“Some researchers have detected an increased risk of melanoma among sunscreen users. No one knows the cause, but scientists speculate that sunscreen users stay out in the sun longer and absorb more radiation overall, or that free radicals released as sunscreen chemicals break down in sunlight may play a role. One other hunch: Inferior sunscreens with poor UVA protection that have dominated the market for 30 years may have led to this surprising outcome. All major public health agencies still advise using sunscreens, but they also stress the importance of shade, clothing and timing.”

Now I am certainly not one to suggest that anyone SKIP sunscreen – we go through gallons of it here at our house – you have to believe that overall it’s better to use it than not use it. But it does make you think. And when it comes to choosing and using a sunscreen, you have to do what works for you and your family. If you just can’t deal with the white-factor of the zinc and titanium dioxide based products, then clearly you should choose one of the safer chemically-based sunblocks vs. not using any sunscreen or using it only intermittently. And you should always be mindful of being out in the sun too long – regardless of whether you have been diligent about sunscreen.

As I mentioned previously, my newest favorite is the Caribbean Sol sunscreen (pictured) – which is included on the EWG list. I also heard from a Garden Girl customer this week about another one that she loves, that’s on the list as well – “thinkbaby” and “thinksport”.  Check the list out and see what works best for you – and let me know if you find one that you love!

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.

EWG.org has posted this year’s review of sunscreens. There are quite a few interesting ones and the report is filled with interesting information. Turns out, they discovered in their research of more than 1,600 sunscreens that “3 of 5 brand-name sunscreens either don’t protect skin from sun damage or contain hazardous chemicals — or both.” Yipes!

Now I have to say, from their “top 10″ list, many of them are either incredibly expensive, very hard to find (often out of stock) or they are icky to use (the Badger brand is very very greasy/sticky). But that said – to each his own. If you are a stickler for a sunscreen that has a “0″ hazard rating, then check them out. But many of the others are just fine to use – and you can read all about them.

But best of all is this year, EWG created what I think is very smart, handy and practical – a handy guide that you can bring with you when you go to buy sunscreen. This way, you have a quick cheat sheet of the brands that you’ll find at CVS or Target or wherever – and which are the best choices within a brand (as some brands like Coppertone and Neutrogena have some of least safe/effective products but also have a couple of good ones). Plus it has a list of the ingredients to avoid!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as though they reviewed any of the Trader Joe’s products. I will say, however, that a personal review of the ingredients of their Face and Body SPF30 looked pretty good. Paraben-free, oxybenzone-free and it includes a mineral block. That said, I have no idea what the actual EWG safety rating would be.

So take a look at the EWG review site and print off the cheat sheet. And have a safe, and hopefully SUNNY summer.

(Northeast weather update – we are actually supposed to see the sun for multiple days in a ROW! Amazing!)

I’m very excited to say that I have found a decent (not perfect – but what is??) sunscreen for faces. It is paraben-free AND oxybenzone-free – which is incredibly hard to find. (read about oxybenzone here) Plus there is no “nano” zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. My family and I tried it this weekend and it worked very well, and it didn’t sting anyone’s eyes (bonus).

The active ingredients rate well on EWG for protection and decently for safety. As I’ve said before – the ultimate is a sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that is not “nano” – but unfortunately that type of suncreen is very thick and white and leaves your face white if you sweat or get wet. Not pretty. Blue Lizard Baby or Sensitive fits the bill so we use it for our bodies but I have been seeking an alternative for the face and it looks like I might have found it!

So if you have a Trader Joe’s nearby – check it out! And if not – again, my recommendation is to find a product that does NOT have oxybenzone. But lookout – it’s in almost everything!

This week the Environmental Working Group announced its findings, after an 18 month study and assessment of sunblocks. It rated sunscreens on a scale for both effectiveness and safety. It’s a really interesting study – you can check it out at http://www.ewg.org/node/21719.

According to their press release: “The analysis found that 84 percent of 785 sunscreen products with an SPF rating of 15 or higher offer inadequate protection from the sun’s harmful rays, or contain ingredients with safety concerns. Ironically, some popular sunscreen chemicals break down when exposed to sunlight and must be formulated with stabilizing chemicals. Others penetrate the skin and present significant health concerns.”

It also shows that SPF ratings are for UVB rays only – and there really isn’t a rating system for UVA, which can be as harmful or even more so than UVB rays. They recommend sunblocks with “physical blocks” such as titanium

So definitely check it out – it’s amazing the trust we put in many of the most popular names and how it turns out we might not be getting what we thought we were. Throw out those bottles of Coppertone and head back to the pharmacy for something that will really do the job!