Sun Safety - Are Sunscreens Necessary and Safe?
By Jane Sheppard
Fun in the sun, whether it's at the beach or in your own backyard, can be risky for children if they go too long without the protection of sunscreen or clothing. Children need to be protected against too much sun to prevent not only sunburn, but also skin and eye damage and the development of skin cancer later in life. The sun is constantly giving off radiation through ultraviolet rays. Both ultraviolet B (UVB) rays and ultraviolet A (UVA) rays can cause skin cancer.
Moderate sunshine is beneficial to health and provides vitamin D. How much is too much depends on the individual child. Some children can only take about 10 to 20 minutes at a time before burning or acquiring sun damage. Others can go longer.
Most of the sun exposure that contributes to adult cancer risk occurs before the age of 18. Kids are more at risk for skin cancer if they have moles on their skin (or if their parents have a lot of moles), have very fair skin and hair, or a family history of skin cancer.
Melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, has become alarmingly common, diagnosed in 1 out of every 128 Americans. This skin cancer killed nearly 6,000 victims last year—a 93 percent increase in the number of cases since 1980. While doctors once rarely saw melanoma patients under age 40, today people in their 20s are commonly treated for the disease.
Why is sun exposure such a problem now, as apposed to 50 years ago? The main reason is thought to be the ozone layer of our atmosphere, which was a natural filter for radiation, is disappearing in huge chunks, exposing us to more of the sun's damaging rays.
Sunscreens work by absorbing, reflecting or scattering ultraviolet light, thereby reducing the amount that reaches the skin. The sun protection factor (SPF) of a sunscreen tells you how much longer you can stay in the sun without burning if you apply the sunscreen. For example, if your child would burn after 20 minutes of sun exposure, applying a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 gives her 15 times the protection. In this example, the child will be protected for up to 5 hours: 20 minutes x 15 SPF = 300 minutes (5 hours).
UVB rays are more likely to cause sunburn than the UVA rays. The FDA recommends that kids use a SPF of 15 or higher to prevent both sunburn and tanning. A SPF of 15 will block about 94 percent of UVB rays and a SPF of 30 will block about 97 percent of UVB. But keep in mind that these SPF ratings do not necessarily mean your child will be protected against the UVA rays that cause cancer and skin damage. SPFs only give a rating of sunburn protection. Your sunscreen should include ingredients that protect against both UVA and UVB rays.
Are Sunscreens Safe?
Most sunscreens contain the chemical ingredient Benzophenone (or its derivatives Benzophenone-3 or Oxybenzone) since it is one of the best in protecting against both UVA and UVB rays. However, sunscreens containing these chemicals are not a good choice. Here is an instance in which the protection may create more harm than good and actually cause the disease it's trying to prevent. Benzophenone is a powerful free radical generator activated by ultraviolet light. Ironically, these free radicals could initiate a reaction that may ultimately lead to melanoma and other skin cancers. (1)
It is often assumed that little or none of a topically applied sunscreen is absorbed into the bloodstream. However, I found a study that assessed the extent of absorption of a number of common chemical sunscreen agents into and through the human skin following application of commercially available products. The results were that all sunscreen ingredients investigated penetrated into the skin, but only benzophenone-3 passed through the skin into the bloodstream in significant amounts. (10% of the applied dose). (2)
Another study showed that substantial amounts of oxybenzone are absorbed into the body and subsequently excreted in the urine. The study notes "it would be prudent not to apply oxybenzone to large surface areas of skin for extended and repeated periods of time, unless no alternative protection is available. There may be an additional concern for young children who have less well-developed processes of elimination, and have a larger surface area per body weight than adults." (3)
Many sunscreen products contain triethanolamine (TEA). This ingredient may combine with nitrite (used as a preservative or may be present as an environmental contaminant) to cause formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines. Nitrites are not disclosed on cosmetic labels so there's no way of telling which products are contaminated with nitrosamines. Particularly disturbing is that up to 35 percent of TEA applied to the skin can enter the bloodstream. (4,5)
Check your sunscreen for the ingredients oxybenzone, benzophenone, or triethanolamine. Fortunately, there are alternatives to these potentially harmful chemicals. David Steinman, author of The Safe Shoppers Bible, recommends in his publication, The Doctors Prescription for Healthy Living, to use physical barrier-type sunscreens such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, since they are safer and also good UVA/UVB blockers. (5)
Aubrey Organics makes several excellent sunscreen products with titanium dioxide, including Green Tea Sunblock for Children SPF 25. I use this product on my daughter's fair skin since she has all the risk factors for skin cancer. Green tea has potent phytochemicals that have been shown to be highly protective against skin cancer, whether consumed as a tea or applied to the skin. (6) Dr. Hauschka's Skin Care and Kiss My Face also have products with safer ingredients.
Because most physical barrier-type sunscreens are easily removed from the skin, you should reapply them liberally every 1 to 2 hours for adequate protection, especially after swimming or heavy perspiration. Keep sunscreen away from the eyes. If rash or irritation develops, stop using the sunscreen and check with your doctor. Sunscreens should not be used on babies under 6 months of age.
Although it's not enough to prevent sunburn, a healthy, whole foods diet with a lot of fruits and vegetables allows the skin to form its own defensive barriers to the sun's harmful rays. Vitamin C complex with bioflavonoids contributes to protection. Enough B vitamins is important, especially pantothenic acid and PABA. Antioxidants are also needed to help prevent free radicals from being formed by radiation, or to neutralize them.
Moderate sunshine is healthy and we all need a daily dose of the sun. But when our children's skin will be exposed to longer periods of sun, we need to apply a safe, UVA/UVB blocking sunscreen or protective clothing if we want to protect them from skin damage and cancer.
Jane Sheppard is the editor and publisher of Healthy Child Online and the author of Super Healthy Kids: Strengthening Your Child's Resistance to Disease - http://www.healthychild.com
1 Larsen, HR "Sunscreens: do they cause skin cancer?" International Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 1994; 12(12): 17-19
2 Jiang R, Roberts, M.S, Collins DM, Benson HA, "Absorption of sunscreens across human skin: an evaluation of commercial products for children and adults." British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 48 (4), 635-637
3 Hayden CG, Roberts MS, Benson HA, "Systemic absorption of sunscreen after topical application." Lancet 1997 Sep 20;350(9081):863-4
4 Maibach, H. "NDELA – Percutaneous Penetration." FDA Contract 223-75-2340, May 19, 1978
5 Steinman, DW, "Trouble Under the Sun: How Safe is Your Sunscreen?" The Doctor's Prescription for Healthy Living, Vol. 4, #5: 16-17
6 Mukhtar, H. "Green tea and skin-anticarcinogenic effects." Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 1994; 102: 5-7.