VANICREAM SUNSCREEN EWG SKIN

'It found that experimental animals treated with retinyl palmitate cream and UV exposure had more skin tumors and lesions than animals treated with a cream that had no retinyl palmitate,' explained Sonya Lunder, EWG's senior analyst and lead author of its sunscreens guide. 'The allegations of dangerous ingredients, like retinyl palmitate, have been proven to have no basis when subjected to peer review scientific studies,' he said.īut EWG says its recommendation to avoid retinyl palmitate is based on results from a one-year skin cancer study performed by the FDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Neal Schultz, for example, isn't convinced that retinyl palmitate is dangerous. One debate is over retinyl palmitate, a synthetic form of vitamin A or retinol. There is a debate about whether sunscreens approved by the FDA and Drug Administration (FDA) are safe, even when they include these ingredients. Other ingredients homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene make EWG's list of UV filters with moderate toxicity concerns, including organ system toxicity, allergies, skin irritation, or hormone disruption. Unfortunately, methylisothiazolinone is becoming increasingly popular in US-sold sunscreens. Harper said she also stays clear of methylisothiazolinone, explaining: 'it is a preservative that the European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety said could not be considered safe in any concentration in any leave-on product, but is still allowed in the US.' Research has found that it could cause extreme skin allergies. There is evidence that it could heighten sun sensitivity.

Those aren't the only two offenders: EWG cautions against retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A often listed as an 'inactive ingredient' in sunscreens. When in our systems, it may interfere with reproductive functions and also cause moderate rates of skin allergies. Like oxybenzone, it is a hormone disruptor commonly found in sunscreen and readily absorbed into our skin with traces also found in mothers' milk. Octinoxate should also be avoided for similar reasons. Other troubling studies have found traces commonly present in mothers' breast milk. The skin absorbs oxybenzone in significant amounts when we use sunscreen that contains it, and a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected it in more than 96 percent of the US population. It is also associated with endometriosis and allergic reactions. EWG says that oxybenzone can act like estrogen in the body, and it's been shown to alter sperm production in animals. It is known as an 'endocrine disruptor,' which means it can interfere with our body's normal hormone functions. According to the Environmental Working Group, an organization that researches and educates consumers about toxins in personal care products, there are specific ingredients you should avoid in sunscreens.

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