Natural sunscreen gains favor

Tag : organic sunscreen
Sunscreen tips
Whether you go with all-natural sunblock or regular sunscreen, staysafe with tips from Michel McDonald, a Vanderbilt UniversityMedical Center dermatologist who treats skin cancer patients.
1. No matter what kind of sun protection you decide to buy, makesure it's full spectrum, meaning it absorbs or blocks both UVA andUVB rays. UVB protection is measured through SPF (sun protectionfactor); there is no product labeling that measures UVA protection.

2. Reapply every two to three hours. McDonald tells her patientswho golf to reapply after nine holes.

3. Even if you don't plan to swim, purchase waterproof products toprotect during sweating.

4. Use a sunscreen that's at least SPF 30.

5. Wear sunscreen every day.

6. Even if your makeup contains sunscreen, put on sunscreenunderneath it.

7. Avoid being in the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

8. Do not apply sunscreen on babies younger than 6 months old.

9. If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun's rays are attheir strongest, according to the Coppertone Solar Research Center.Cover up with protective clothing and head for the shade.

Chemical sunscreens
Active ingredients: Oxybenzone and avobenzone absorb UVA rays.Octinoxate and benzophenone are the most commonly used to protectagainst UVB rays.

Popular brands: Aveeno, Banana Boat, Bull Frog, Coppertone,Hawaiian Tropic, Kiss My Face Neutrogena, No-Ad. A new type ofchemical sunscreen, Anthelios SX by LaRoche-Posay, is for the firsttime available in the United States and contains Mexoryl SX, whichis highly effective in absorbing both UVA and UVB rays.

How they work: The ingredients absorb harmful ultraviolet rays.

Health concerns: Some environmental groups say chemical sunscreenshave been found to mimic the hormone estrogen in the body and canthrow the body out of whack. Be careful these sunscreens don'tcontain phthalates, parabens or PABA, as these ingredients cancause allergic reactions.

Environmental concerns: Many of these same chemicals may causebleaching and death of corals, according to TheGreenGuide.com. .
Mineral sunblocks
Active ingredients: Titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.

Popular brands: Alba Botanica, Avalon, Badger, Burt's Bees,California Baby, Jason.

How they work: The ingredients block ultraviolet rays.

Health concerns: These mineral sunblocks can leave a white tintunless they are shrunk down to micronized and tinier nano-sizedparticles. Opt for micronized over nano-sized, which may beabsorbed into your skin and cause problems, according toTheGreenGuide.com.

Environmental concerns: Titanium dioxide is made using a chlorineprocess that releases carcinogenic dioxins into the atmosphere,according to the Sierra Club. That could pose a threat to wildlifeand people. Zinc mining can cause widespread environmental damageby spreading toxic heavy metals. And acid, which is used toseparate zinc from ore, can permanently pollute mining locationsand contaminate groundwater, TheGreenGuide.com says.

-Bonna Johnson

On the Web
-- The Skin Cancer Foundation: www.skincancer.org
-- The American Academy of Dermatology: www.aad.org. Click onPublic Center.
-- The National Weather Service and Environmental Protection Agencyforecast the expected risk of overexposure to the sun. Intensitylevels vary from 1 to 11+ with the higher numbers indicatingincreased risk. A daily index by ZIP code is available atwww.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html.