It's summer. And that means it's time to get out the sunscreen.
Or not.
Sunscreen protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. Too much exposure to sun can lead to wrinkles, skin cancer and melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.
But sunscreen also contains chemicals which can seep into the body, or seep into water and affect aquatic life, as well as drinking water.
"As a physician, my first priority is to take care of patients," said Dr. Elizabeth Liotta, a Frederick dermatologist.
She recommends people consider physical sunscreens, rather than chemical. "They don't cause a rash on your skin," she said. Physical sunscreens work to block the sun from entering your skin, as opposed to chemical sunscreens, which minimize the effects of the sun's rays.
The sun emits two types of ultraviolet rays, UVA and UVB. Most sunscreens protect from UVA rays; some protect from UVB.
Titanium and zinc oxide are the best-known physical sunscreens. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that tests many products for human health hazards, said that sunscreen without zinc and titanium exposes people to an average of 20 percent more UVA radiation.
Those sunscreens also contain an average of four times as many hazardous ingredients known or strongly suspected to cause cancer or birth defects, or to contain endocrine disrupters that can be absorbed through the skin. Endocrine disrupters upset the human reproductive system. Basically, they affect hormone production, causing either too much or too little.
Liotta does not recommend spray sunscreens. "The spray gets into the air and doesn't get onto you," she said. Aside from the ingredients in chemical sunscreens, Liotta said people often don't apply enough sunscreen, or apply it often enough, for it to work properly. "It reduces some of the rays," she said. "It doesn't reduce all the rays." Consumers must educate themselves on which sunscreens to use, said Jane Rhodes, wellness manager at the Common Market, a food co-op in Frederick . "The cosmetic industry is not highly regulated," she said. Sunscreens are treated like cosmetics when it comes to testing. "The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not taken much of a stance," she said. "Huge amounts of ingredients are not tested." She tries to supply the store with sunscreens the EWG lists as safe. Chemical sunscreens -- or those that don't contain zinc and titanium -- use the chemicals octinoxate and oxybenzone, which the skin absorbs. These chemicals can cause allergic reactions and can act like estrogen in the body, according to the EWG. "Zinc and titanium are more stable," said Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst at the EWG. "We looked at skin-penetration studies, because a lot of sunscreens have nano-sized particles, and the penetration is incredibly minimal."
Nanoparticles have been scientifically linked to hormonal imbalance, both in the human body and in the water system. Chemical sunscreens may be more damaging to the water system as well as humans, according to the EWG. They are much more likely to affect coral reefs, so scuba divers in those areas should be especially careful to use zinc or titanium sunscreens instead, Lunder said. Europeans are doing more research than Americans on the effects of sunscreen in the body and in the environment, the EWG said. The Swiss don't use zinc, but do use titanium, Lunder said. Yet levels of zinc have been found in fish. "There are definitely questions as to what happens when they're in the water system and how much they get in," Lunder said. Still, the EWG and Liotta said sunscreen is essential for people who spend any amount of time in the summer sun. Another more old-fashioned prevention is a hat that covers the ears and neck and long-sleeved clothing. Some clothing now features UV protection. "It's good to get out in the sun every once in a while without sunscreen," Lunder said. Most people get enough exposure in the summer that way just by running errands, she said. "When you're out on the water, you're getting such an intense amount of sun, you need something," she said. "If we were talking about eye glitter or lipstick, we would say, 'Don't use this,' but this is essential."
