Burning warning on sunscreen products

With the scorching sun threatening to burn us to a crisp, we’re reminded never to leave the house without putting on sunblock or sunscreen. Lots of it! And of course, if you’re going to the beach, you should stay protected — that is, from the ultraviolet rays UVA, UVB, and ever heard of the UVC rays? In summer, even just a brief exposure to UVC radiation can cause a light sunburn. UVA is the bad guy because it penetrates the skin more deeply and remains constant all hours of the day all through the year. So stop wondering why even on a cloudy day, you can get sunburned. UVB is the good guy because it helps the skin produce vitamin D (boning up on it, a deficiency of this vitamin causes osteoporosis).

But of course, we don’t want the sun to catch us without sunscreen because for a lot of us women, wrinkling or premature aging is a fate worse than death.

So, what could be a hotter topic this summer (aside from the May 10 elections) than sunscreens? But before you slather on gobs and gobs of sunscreen, listen to this burning warning from a consumer advocacy group to all parents: You may think you’re protecting your family with sunscreen, but the truth is, you may be getting burned. And reports from the Organic Consumers Association (June 29, 2008) and CNN Health (July 1, 2008) tell us more about this burning controversy.

Experts warn: “Slathering a carcinogenic agent onto your skin may in fact be worse for your health than ingesting it, as it goes straight into your blood stream. By following experts’ recommendations to apply generous amounts of sunscreen every few hours to prevent skin cancer, you are likely absorbing a fair amount.”

According to the Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, four out of five name-brand sunscreens don’t adequately protect consumers and may even contain harmful chemicals. Note that sunscreens are regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as OTC (over-the-counter) drugs, not as cosmetics. Their active ingredients block, reflect or absorb the UV rays. Sunscreen products are rated according to their SPF (sun protection factor) — the higher the SPF, the better protection you get against sunburn.

But the Environmental Working Group warns consumers that the SPF rating of a sunscreen is not the only thing consumers need to know. What they should know is that many sunscreens don’t offer enough protection and may even contain unsafe ingredients.

Now, how do you protect yourself from overexposure to the sun safely?

Here’s health activist Dr. Joseph Mercola’s natural remedy: “Two non-toxic ingredients that scatter both UVB and the more damaging UVA rays are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. They’ve been used all over the world for over 75 years as safe sunscreens…”

He adds this hot tip: “I believe it’s imperative to do your homework and only use a natural sunscreen with safe, non-toxic ingredients, so as not to add to your toxic load.”

To know what dangers may be lurking in your harmless looking sunscreen bottle, take time to visit the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website this summer before you step out into the sun for some fun.

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There Ought To Be A Law On Warning Labels

To celebrate the 18th anniversary of RA 7394 (Consumer Protection Act), the EcoWaste Coalition, a non-government organization campaigning for consumer safety against toxic chemicals, urged the Department of Trade and Industry to ensure that there are warning labels in products containing hazardous substances.

The group likewise called on all aspiring presidents and lawmakers to integrate into their platforms the need to uphold the basic rights of consumers, such as the right to be informed and protected against exposure to hazardous substances that can cause health as well as environmental woes.

Says Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats), “While RA 7394 spells out certain labeling and fair packaging requirements, their enforcement leaves much to be desired, especially in common consumer products laced with toxic chemicals.”

Just last year, the EcoWaste Coalition, partnering with the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, had samples of plastic slippers and leather shoes tested in Sweden for certain chemicals of concern.

One day, we woke up and were jolted by this shocking revelation: “Most of the samples tested positive for hazardous chemicals such as endocrine-disrupting phthalates and cancer-causing benzidine, to name a few, and none of them carried labels that would tell and caution consumers about their toxic contents,” Dizon laments.

While not letting up on its drive to remove toxic chemicals out of consumer products, The EcoWaste Coalition views effective and mandatory observance of truthful toxic warning labels as a fundamental risk reduction strategy that has to be sternly enforced. The group cited Article 91 of the Consumer Protection Act of 1992, which describes the characteristics of mislabeled hazardous substances. According to the law, hazardous substances shall be deemed mislabeled when such substance fails to bear a label, which states conspicuously: the name and the place of business of the manufacturer, packer, distributor or seller; the common or usual name or the chemical name of the hazardous substance or component; the signal word “danger” on substances which are extremely flammable, corrosive or highly toxic; the signal word “warning” or “caution” on all other hazardous substances; a clear statement as to the possible injury it may cause if used improperly; precautionary measures describing the action to be followed or avoided; instructions when necessary or appropriate for first-aid treatment; the word “poison” for any hazardous substance which is defined as highly toxic; instructions for handling and storage of packages which require special care in handling and storage; and the statement “keep out of the reach of children” or its practical equivalent, if the article is not intended for use by children and is not a banned hazardous substance, with adequate directions for the protection of children from the hazard involved.

The EcoWaste Coalition took particular note of the special packaging requirements that would protect children from serious personal injury or illness resulting from the handling and use of certain products, especially those containing harmful chemicals.

After all, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

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