Question:
Someone on the internet referred me to http://www.cosmeticscop.com/greatsun.
html. This site keeps insisting that suncreens WITHOUT either titanium
dioxide, zinc oxide or avobenzone as *active ingredients* are worthless
when it comes to protection against aging and skin cancer.
Are these ingredients known by any other name?
Because I use the dermatologist-recommended Neutrogena SPF30 that has
active ingredients octyl methoxycinnamate, octyl salicylate, homosalate
and benzophenone-3. If the website is correct, almost all Neurogina
suncreens are worthless. Another sunscreen I use is Vaseline SPF25
moisturizing sunblock, which does not have the three active ingredients
the site mentions. So this is bad too? As per the website, you and I
probably get at most 20% protection against the wrinkle-causing,
cancer-inducing, age-inducing UVA radiation.
I'm a little confused because then 90+% of the screens on the market in
the U.S. do not offer any protection against the sun. The website
mentioned that Canada, Australia and Europe had good screens, while a
conspiracy prevents good sunscreens from being introduced in the American
market before the old formulations have been sold off. Do we buy this?
Consumer Reports had published an analysis of sunscreens a while ago. I
turned my place upside down but couldn't find the Consumer Reports
article. Could someone please scan that article and post it here? I'm
more inclined to trust Consumer Reports, although they are often
hopelessly unscientific and peurile in their analysis too.
Answer:
It is true that there are very few sunscreens out there which protect
against UVA as well as UVB. Paula Begoun feels strongly that sunscreen
protection should include UVA and evidence suggests that it may be UVA
which contributes more to aging. That said, the sunscreens you do have
are *not* useless. It is always better to wear even a UVB-only
sunscreen, rather than nothing at all.
Department store cosmetics counters have sunscreens with titanium
dioxide. Shiseido, Origins, Awake are three that I'm sure of. Ombrelle
and Shade are brands that uses avobenzone. Also, I believe Iguana
sunscreens incorporate zinc oxide. The last three I mentioned are
available in drug stores. There may also be internet sources. Try a
power search at dejanews.com, in the alt.fashion forum, using UVA and
any of the brands I mentioned above, as keywords.
