Sunscreen Safety

We all know that the sun, and especially the dreaded sunburn, is dangerous to our health and increases our aging, but sunscreens in the US aren’t always safe or effective. They can contain harmful chemicals or claim to have super high and misleading SPF ratings, which the FDA even calls “inherently misleading.” According to EWG, many sunscreen chemicals are also absorbed into the body and can impact our health, including avobenzone and oxybenzone. To avoid burning (and reduce risk of skin cancer), make daily plans around the sun by heading outside the early morning or late afternoon, wear light color clothes to cover up and stay cool, find shade (or make it), and check the UV index. The good news is that the FDA is finally proposing big changes that address many of our concerns, and should make all sunscreens safer and more effective. Until that is accomplished, be sure to arm yourself and your family with sunscreens that are considered to be “safe,” including lotions made the brands Coola, All Good, Sunology, Badger for baby, Goddess Garden, Burn Out Kids, California Kids, & Thinksport, to name a few.