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from Natural Life Magazine
July/August, 2008 Q: I’m worried about the dangers of sun exposure and the diseases that are carried by biting bugs. But I’m also worried about how to protect myself and my family without exposing us to equal or greater dangers from sunscreens and bug repellants. What should I do? A: You’re right to be concerned. Both conventional sunscreen products and bug repellants have been shown to have health and environmental problems. Sunscreens Getting a little sunshine (experts say that just 10 to 20 minutes a day is enough) is important for helping our bodies generate Vitamin D, which is hugely important to our health. However, too much sun exposure can cause sunburn and skin cancer.
Sunburn is caused by Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which are partially absorbed by the ozone layer and don’t penetrate our skin very deeply . However, 90 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation is in the form of Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, which are not absorbed by the ozone layer and penetrate deep into our skin. Both types can cause skin cancer. Most sunscreens do fairly well at absorbing UVB radiation but many don’t screen UVA rays at all, although new chemicals are being developed to that end. Sunblocks provide a barrier to both types of rays. The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) that you see on packaging measures only UVB protection, creating a false sense of protection for those who feel they can bask for hours in the sun without worrying about skin cancer. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which has studied the issue in depth, most of the commercially available products do not provide adequate protection and may also contain chemicals with questionable safety records. In recent research, EWG reviewed nearly 400 scientific studies, industry models of sunscreen efficacy, and toxicity and regulatory information from nearly 60 government, academic and industry databases. They also tested 831 sunscreen products, finding health and environmental problems with 84 percent. Many contained... To read the rest of this article, subscribe to Natural Life's online edition. Author Wendy Priesnitz is the Editor of Natural Life Magazine and a journalist with over 30 years of experience. She has also authored nine books. Read her blog. |
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