Pick your poison: Sun or sunscreen?

A recent report by the CDC ... found that 95 percent of Americans have oxybenzone, an ingredient found in sunscreens, in their bloodstream. The chemical is linked to cell damage, allergies and hormone disruption.

How to select safe and effective sunscreens

CHANTAL LAMERS, FREEDOM NEWS SERVICE

Slathering on the sunscreen before plopping down in the sand, swimming or surfing is pretty much a no-brainer. Choosing a safe, effective sunscreen, on the other hand, is making some consumers red in the face.

Even people who use sunscreen habitually might not be getting adequate protection. Out of nearly 1,000 sunscreens scrutinized by the Environmental Working Group last year, researchers say that only 15 percent provide adequate sun protection and present minimal health risks.

The nonprofit organization, whose researchers have been examining the safety of cosmetics and personal-care products since 2004, added sunscreens to its Skin Deep database last year. The site, cosmeticdatabase.com, includes findings on more than 25,000 products and 7,000 ingredients.

The majority of sunscreens don’t protect against ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, says Jane Houlihan, vice president of research of EWG. Ultraviolet B (UVB) protection is measured in SPF, but manufacturers are not yet required by the Food and Drug Administration to divulge levels of UVA protection. Both types of rays lead to skin cancer and skin damage.

(Continued here. Another report is here. More on oxybenzone is here.)