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EARTHTALK(R): DANGERS OF SUNSCREENS

 

EarthTalk®

From the Editors of E - The Environmental Magazine

Caption: Some all-natural, mineral-based sunscreens may be chalky going on but could be safer than their chemical counterparts. Credit: Indexorama, Flickr CC

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve been hearing a lot about the dangers of sunscreens. What is the latest on efforts to make them safer and more effective?                                 -- Phyllis Lothran, Tallahassee, FL

April 14, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) - Greater awareness about what’s in everyday products and increased interest in healthy living means there has never been a better time to re-evaluate which sunscreens you use. The ingredients in some common chemical-based sunscreens are known to cause allergic reactions for some people and have been linked to reproductive and behavioral problems in animal studies. But luckily for the sun-safe and health conscious among us, there are lots of widely available all-natural, mineral-based sunscreen formulations that won’t cause any health problems on store shelves these days.


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