Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and generally thought of as the official start of the season, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about sunscreen again.
Here's a link to an earlier post on an Environmental Working Group study of sunscreens. Take a look at see where yours ranks.
The advocacy and research group looked at harmful ingredients and effectiveness in 500 beach and sports sunscreens. In the end, officials recommended only 8 percent. They didn't like anything that promised SPF over 50 or anything with oxybenzone, which the group says is linked ot cancer and reproductive problems. They also didn't like anything with vitamin A, linked to accelerated development of skin tumors.
SPF of 50 or higher, and others contained oxybenzone, which the group says is linked to cancer and reproductive problems, or vitamin A, which has recently been linked to accelerated development of skin tumors and lesions.
In general, the group said to wear a hat and shirts, choose lotions over sprays and powders, choose SPF 30+ over SPF 50+ and pick zinc or titanium dioxide over oxybenzone.
My colleage Liz Kay also wrote Sunday on the subject. Read her findings here. She also had some tips, including avoiding prime hours outside in the sun, applying sunscreen 15 minutes before you go outside and reapplying often.
AP photo