Protect Your Skin

While you're taking steps to prevent skin cancer, be sure to protect your health from hazardous ingredients in sunscreen. One of my favorite sunscreens, Neutrogena Wet Skin Spray Sunscreen, is on the Most Toxic list from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).  I should have known the easy application was too good to be true!

Read the article: The Most Toxic Sunscreen (and safer options)

Safer sunscreen is readily available, and you don't have to do a lot of homework to find it, thanks to Environmental Working Group's (EWG's) 8th annual guide to sunscreens. The report comes at a time when melanoma--the most serious type of skin cancer--rates are on the rise.

Many sunscreens offer inadequate protection from the sun and can contain toxic ingredients, to boot," says Sonya Lunder, senior research analyst at EWG. "This guide offers users much-needed, well-sourced information so they can make the right choices to protect themselves and their families."

You'll find a link in that article to the EWG's Guide to Sunscreens. You can check the sunscreens you have already purchased or plan to purchase.


We've all heard these recommendations below (from WebMD), but we probably all need a reminder:

How Can I Help Prevent Skin Cancer?

Nothing can completely undo sun damage, although the skin can sometimes repair itself. So, it's never too late to begin protecting yourself from the sun. Your skin does change with age -- for example, you sweat less and your skin can take longer to heal, but you can delay these changes by staying out of the sun. Follow these tips to help prevent skin cancer:

• Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or greater 30 minutes before sun exposure and every 2 hours thereafter, more if you are sweating or swimming.
• Select clothing, cosmetic products, and contact lenses that offer UV protection.
• Wear sunglasses with total UV protection and a wide-brimmed hat to shade your face and neck.
• Avoid direct sun exposure as much as possible during peak UV radiation hours (between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.).
• Perform skin self-exams regularly to become familiar with existing growths and to notice any changes or new growths.
• Eighty percent of a person's lifetime sun exposure is acquired before age 18. As a parent, be a good role model and foster skin cancer prevention habits in your child.

Action Item: Are your sunscreens safe or toxic? Check yours today (use the link below).

For Further Reading: EWG's Guide to Sunscreens and 21 Most Affordable Natural Sunscreens.