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Sun Safety
All sunscreens are not created equal. Here’s how to choose the best brand for your child.
by: Nancy Ripton
Sunscreen
- Just 16% of sunscreens passed the EWG test for safety and effectiveness.
- SPF only protects against the sun's most superficially penetrating UVB rays.
- To protect against UVA rays, choose a sunscreen with at least a 7% concentration of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
- Avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone.
- The airborne chemicals in powder and spray sun care could have a long-term toxic effect on the lungs.
ven if you buy a sunscreen specially labeled for children, it may not provide the protection you expect. Here's how to make sure your babe gets the ultimate sun protection:
Put Your Sunscreen to the Test
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) , tested almost 1,000 sunscreens for effectiveness and safety–and only 16 percent passed. And the child-specific brands didn't fare much better than traditional ones. Just 25 of the 99 tested brands made the grade.
Click Here to find out how your sunscreen measures up.
UVA versus UVB rays
Most sunscreens fare well when it comes to UVB protection–the most superficially penetrating rays, responsible for giving us a suntan (or burn). UVB rays also contribute to skin cancer and aging.
UVB protection is measured by Sun Protection Factor (SPF). "If you have a sunscreen with an SPF15, you can stay out in the sun for 15 times longer than you could without that sunscreen and not get a sun burn," says Dr. Paul Cohen, a Toronto-based dermatologist. But SPF doesn't protect us from UVA rays.
"UVA rays penetrate deeper than UVB," says Dr. Cohen. Although they do not physically tan or burn your skin, they are the primary rays responsible for premature aging and skin cancer.
"There are only four approved ingredients known to block UVA rays," says Sean Gray, a senior analyst with the EWG. These include: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone, and mexoryl. So a parent simply needs to look for one of these four ingredients on sunscreen labels, right?
It's not quite that simple. The later two ingredients are highly unstable and break down quickly in sunlight. "Many companies use avobenzone as a UVA blocker," says Gray. "And on it's own, it just doesn't cut it."
Companies such as Neutrogena, La Roche-Posay, Vichy and Ombrelle add ingredients to increase the photostability of avobenzone, so you can rest a bit easier. "At the time, however, there's no third-party verification," says Gray. "So if you're relying on avobenzone to block UVA, it's a trust issue."
To be safe, parents should look for a sunscreen with at least a seven percent concentration of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These are stable ingredients that will protect against UVA rays for at least two hours.
Could Your Sunscreen be Harmful?
"I'm concerned with the lack of safety testing with sunscreens," says Dr. Rebecca Sutton, a staff scientist with the EWG. There is a long list of ingredients that are potentially harmful, or even cancer causing, that we just don't know enough about. This is especially of concern when it comes to children.
The surface area of a child's skin relative to his body weight is much greater than adults. Any chemical applied to a child's skin is about 1.4 times more potent than it would be when applied to an adult's. Children have a developing organ system that is more vulnerable to damage from chemical exposures, they are more sensitive to low levels of hormonally active compounds and it is more difficult for them to detoxify and excrete chemicals.
How Parents Can Provide Safe Sun Protection
Oxybenzone is a common sunscreen ingredient that has been linked to a host of problems including allergies, hormone disruption and cell damage. Oxybenzone also helps other chemicals penetrate the skin. Simply put: other possibly hazardous ingredients are more likely to enter your child's bloodstream if mixed with oxybenzone.
To make matters worse, oxybenzone is particularly harmful when mixed with sunlight. The sun's rays mix with oxybenzone to form free radical chemicals that may be linked to cell damage. Parents should avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone as an active ingredient.
Parents should also choose a brand with at least seven percent zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to limit UVA damage. And limit UVB exposure by selecting a brand with an SPF of at least 30. Dr. Sutton warns to also avoid powder and spray sun care. "The airborne chemicals are potentially dangerous to breathe in and could have a long-term toxic effect on the lungs." And avoid 2-in-1 combos, such as sunscreen mixed with insect repellants. "You need to apply sunscreen every few hours to be effective and you don't want to put bug repellant on that often," says Gray.
The best sun protection combines a quality sunscreen with a good dose of common sense.
"People rely too heavily on sunscreen alone," says Dr. Cohen. Make sure your child wears a hat and UV protective clothing. Avoid direct sunlight during the peak hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and play in the shade when possible.
Meet our experts:
Dr. Paul Cohen, a Toronto-based dermatologist at the Rosedale Dermatology Center. He was named one of Canada's best dermatologists by Fashion magazine.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit organization with the goal of protecting public health and the environment. Sean Gray is a senior analyst with the EWG and Dr. Rebecca Sutton is a EWG staff scientist.
