Storage Blog

Needles, CA. - The Pros and Cons of Sunscreen Use

I've skied on the Colorado River since I was 8 years old and my skin really shows it....It is hard to believe that the wonderful sunshine of the River can feel so good and be so bad for you at the same time!  I have used sunscreen throughout the years however I've had questions about them....Things have changed throughout the years i.e.

• Do you remember the old treatment for acne?  I do....I was treated via ultraviolet lights.....um....Amazing how now I am suppose to wear sunscreens to prevent that!  And is that why I have had 4 skin cancer lesions cut off of my face?
• Sunscreens became popular in the 70's.  At that time, the formulas had very low SPF and worked against UVB only.  We stayed out on the Colorado River all day because we thought we were protected.  Since the 70's, the skin cancer rate has increased...ummm.
• They are now finding out that some of the chemicals that have been used in sunscreens may not be good for you.  An example would be Vitamin A &/or retinyl palmitate.  This vitamin is found in 41% of the sunscreens and studies have shown that it can promote the development of tumors and lesions more quickly, compared to skin not coated with it.  Oxybenzone is another questionable ingredient now. Ummm.
• And now they are finding people are running short of Vitamin D in their systems.  Umm...what is a good source of Vitamin D?  Oh, the sun!  So now they are saying we can have 15 minutes of sunshine without using a sunscreen.  I wonder how they determined it was 15 minutes and not 1 hour?

I decided to do some research about sunscreens (even though I know that my skin is probably already destroyed....).  It seems that for a sunscreen to do a complete job, it must protect you from the

1. UVB rays (those rays associated with "B"urning the skin)
2. UVA rays (those rays associated with "A"ging the skin and that penetrate deepest into the skin.  These rays are responsible for age spots, broken blood vessels, wrinkling and increased cancer risks).
3. SPF ratings on sunscreens/sunblocks only refer to UVB protection.  If a sunscreen has about 7% zinc oxide or avobenzone (it seems that these two work better than titanium dioxide) it helps to absorb the entire UVA spectrum thus giving you "broad spectrum" coverage.

This year, Consumer Reports Health tested 12 products and found that four of them provided a touch better protection than the others.  They rated them as providing very good protection against UVA and excellent protection against UVB.  Those four are:

                                         

• Up & Up Sport Continuous SPF 30, by Target  (the most reasonably priced, also)
• Walgreens Sport Continuous SPF 50
• Banana Boat Sport Performance  Continuous SPF 30
• Aveeno Continuous Protection SPF 50

According to the EWG (Environmental Working Group), the FDA has never finalized the sunscreen regulations it started in 1978.  This group stated in an blog by Maria Rodale (6/22/10) that the FDA's 2007 draft of sunscreen regulations states, "FDA is not aware of data demonstrating that sunscreen use alone helps prevent skin cancer".  So with all of that in mind, since I don't like chemicals, I think I should probably just wear a hat, mask, long sleeved shirt and long pants every time I say "hit it" as I take off on my ski ride down the Colorado River in Needles, CA!  Since I don't want to give up my bathing suit or stop storing my boat in Needles, CA. I think that I shall try to find a sunscreen with the above recommendations and follow the suggestions below:

• Use only broad spectrum sunscreen blocks to prevent both UVA and UVB rays
• Make sure the sunscreen is water resistant
• Buy new sunscreen every year (make sure to look at the expiration date before buying it) and make it SPF 30 at least!
• Apply the sunscreen at least 20-30 minutes before going outside.
• The screen should be applied every two hours or after swimming, sweating or skiing.
• Wear tightly woven clothing and a hat, limit exposure in the sun and seek shade during the hottest parts of the day (that should be fun to do at the River!)
• Wear sunscreen all year!  UVA ray exposure is more damaging at higher elevations....think what happens when you are snow skiing! 

I would really like to know what you feel and know about the use of sunscreens.  Am I the only one who thinks that my skin never burned (as much as it does now) if I go without sunscreen?  Am I also alone in feeling that chemicals may be harmful to us?  What are they going to be saying about sunscreens in 2020?