I was referred to an article from the EWG (Environmental Working Group) which has some new information about Sunscreens. One of the topics really jumped out at me, it was about a seemingly harmless ingredient in all of Mexitans Sunscreens (only thoes with an SPF factor) and 41% of other bands on the market. I am talking about Vitamin A in the form of “retinyl palmitate” or “retinol” and when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions. This is enough to deter me personally from ever using a sunscreen with this ingredient. (see below for exerpt and link to whole article)
I will still be ordering their bug repelant, Skedattle, as it has gotten rave reviews and based on what I could find actaully works.
My goal is to place the order this afternoon if possible, I will be emailing everyone who placed an order to see what they want to do. This delay in ordering means that the order will arrive just before or after I move, so I will need to have the order shipped to someone elses house for sorting and picking up (any volunteers???)
Full article:
http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/9-surprising-facts-about-sunscreen/
5. The common sunscreen ingredient vitamin A may speed the development of cancer.
Recently available data from an FDA study indicate that a form of vitamin A, retinyl palmitate, when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions (NTP 2009). This evidence is troubling because the sunscreen industry adds vitamin A to 41 percent of all sunscreens.
The industry puts vitamin A in its formulations because it is an anti-oxidant that slows skin aging. That may be true for lotions and night creams used indoors, but FDA recently conducted a study of vitamin A’s photocarcinogenic properties, the possibility that it results in cancerous tumors when used on skin exposed to sunlight. Scientists have known for some time that vitamin A can spur excess skin growth (hyperplasia), and that in sunlight it can form free radicals that damage DNA (NTP 2000).
In FDA’s one-year study, tumors and lesions developed up to 21 percent sooner in lab animals coated in a vitamin A-laced cream (at a concentration of 0.5%) than animals treated with a vitamin-free cream. Both groups were exposed to the equivalent of just nine minutes of maximum intensity sunlight each day.
It’s an ironic twist for an industry already battling studies on whether their products protect against skin cancer. The FDA data are preliminary, but if they hold up in the final assessment, the sunscreen industry has a big problem. In the meantime, EWG recommends that consumers avoid sunscreens with vitamin A (look for “retinyl palmitate” or “retinol” on the label). Read more.
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