True or False: Sunscreen is Dangerous
July 27, 2010
Be afraid, very afraid of that sunscreen you lather on. So suggests a new report from the Environmental Working Group. Most have dangerous chemicals that will accelerate the growth of skin tumors or disrupt the intricate workings of your hormonal systems, the nonprofit group reports. And these "modern-day snake oil" products don't work anyway, the group says, giving people a false sense of security so they stay out in the sun longer and get deadly skin cancer. Scary stuff. But is it true?
The American Academy of Dermatology says no, adding in a statement released yesterday that "scientific evidence supports the beneficial effects of sunscreen" and that sunscreen is "an important tool in the fight against skin cancer." The EWG report, though, does make two legitimate points: First, we shouldn't assume that rubbing on some sunscreen in the morning will protect our bikini-clad bodies at the beach all day. Second, most of us use far too little sunscreen to get significant protection. Here's what Henry W. Lim, chairman of dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital, recommends when it comes to using sunscreen.
