Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
July 4th weekend beach time is upon us, and the FDA still hasn’t finalized its rules about what sunscreen manufacturers can claim on sunscreen labels. The new regulations were proposed back in 2007, and two years later, they still haven’t been published. That means sunscreen manufacturers are still getting away with exaggerated claims. (“All day protection!” “Sweat proof!” “SPF 100!” Sound familiar?) The Environmental Working Group recently posted its 2009 Sunscreen Guide, and it found that three out of five sunscreens on the market still either don’t work as well as they claim to or contain potentially hazardous chemicals, or both. Not exactly what you want to hear right before your holiday weekend on the beach.
On the bright side: EWG found that this year, 70 percent of sunscreen products contain strong UVA filters, compared to just 29 percent in 2008. Another improvement: This year, 19 percent fewer sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a UV blocker that scientists suspect seeps into the skin and enters the bloodstream.
Still, it’s awfully hard to tell from the labels which products are safe and effective. And that’s bad news for those of us who don’t want to spend our summer beach days dressed like the folks in the picture.
