Nearly Half of Sunscreens Don’t Work as Advertised
I am a true believer in the benefits of sunscreen. I know that high temperatures can cause the ultraviolet absorbing chemicals like avobenzone and oxybenzone to degrade right in the bottle. When you apply a degraded sunscreen to your skin, you are not getting the SPF indicated on the bottle and in fact might be applying nothing more than a thick white moisturizer. A great and easy way to carry your sunscreen (as well as other heat sensitive items like a chapstick or medications) with you on that warm weather outing is to use a ‘freeze and go’ Cool-it Caddy. Simply pop it into a freezer until frozen….next step? Go play! Small enough to fit into your purse, tote, backpack, golf bag or tennis bag. Your sunscreen is protected from breaking down and no longer being effective.
Here is an interesting article about how sunscreens aren’t necessarily working as advertised.
Not all sunscreens were created equal when it comes to preventing sunburn, according to a study of sunblock lotions.
A Consumer Reports investigation found that 43% of sunscreens did not live up to the their labels, according to CBS. Consumer Reports tested 65 sunscreen products with an SPF of at least 30, which is the minimum level recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology.
Products were tested by having people apply sunscreen to their backs, sit in water for the specified water-resistant time and expose themselves to UV light. They were then checked for redness the next day.
Sunscreens that performed the worst were ones that contained titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as active ingredients, while top performers contained ingredients like avobenzone, according to Trish Calvo, Consumer Reports‘ deputy food and health editor.
The study also dismissed waterproof sunscreen as a myth, telling CBS that “no such product exists.”
Banana Boat, CVS and Shiseido disputed the results, according to CBS, with Shiseido saying there were “significant flaws” in the testing methodology.
The bottom line, check the ingredients in the sunscreen before you buy it and then protect it from the heat when out in the warm weather by keeping it in a ‘freeze and go”. Cool-itCaddy.com
by
