Though safety questions have been raised about the chemicals used in sunscreen lotion, the best advice at the height of a Chicago summer remains the same:
Use enough sunscreen to protect your skin.
As Stephanie Zimmermann reported in Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking into whether to regulate a dozen common ingredients in sunscreens. Environmental and consumer advocates are concerned about some of them, including a chemical ingredient, oxybenzone, that might be a health risk.
A new FDA study found ingredients in sunscreens enter the bloodstream after just one day of use, but there is little research on how much of a health risk that poses. More studies need to be done, but at the moment, no one has turned up evidence of harm to humans.
Meanwhile, we know of one very big health risk against which sunscreens provide a line of defense: skin cancer.
An estimated 9,500 Americans a day are diagnosed with skin cancer, and one in five Americans will get it at some point. It’s the most common cancer in the United States, and it’s on the rise, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
Sunscreens also protect against aging of the skin.
But even now, medical professionals say, people apply only about half as much sunscreen to their skin as they should. Using even less would be a step in a risky direction.
To play it safe, try to limit your sun exposure in the middle of the day, when the sun’s rays are strongest. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, big sunglasses and sun-protective clothing. If you’re at the beach, a sun umbrella is a good idea. And one doctor points out people who are concerned about chemicals in sunscreens could just use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide instead — those are the “physical” sunscreens that sit on top of your skin.
But don’t forget to pack the sunscreen. It’s still the smart thing to do.
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