Infant sunscreen shown not effective?

Question

i've been hearing alot of people talking infant and kids sunscreen being ineffective, apparently it was on the news. can someone please give me a link or full list of the brands that we mentioned.

Answer 1

Many Sunscreens Ineffective, Group Says

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-t...

To view, click on the address above or copy and paste it into your Web browser.

Answer 2

I think mostly they were referring to the UVB rays.  They don't cover the UVB rays which are just as damaging as the UVA rays.  This is for all brands, although I think I have heard that Coppertone isn't as effective as some of the other brands.

Funny thing is, I just was reading that there is an increase in rickets (Vitamin D deficiency) because of the increased use of sunscreen these days.  We just can't win either way, can we?  (in case you didn't know, Vit D is produced in the body by sun exposure).

Answer 3

Check out the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database. It is run by the Environmental Working Group. They did a whole report on sunscreens. You can find the report here: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special...

Basically there are two different types of sunscreens: Physical Suncreens and Chemical Sunscreens.

Chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation while physical sunscreens act by physically blocking it. Most of the sunscreens you will find at the drugstore are chemical sunscreens though some contain both.  The issues with ineffective protection are with the chemical sunscreens, and there are more issues with them as well.

The main issues with some of the most common ingredients in chemical sunscreens are:

They can generate free-radical damage

They get absorbed into the blood and can build up in fat stores

They can act like estrogen and disrupt hormone systems

They can cause allergic reactions

Some of the chemicals break down in the sun and do not provide adequate UVA protection (freckling, aging of the skin, sun damage) even when they are labeled that they do. They only provide adequate UVB protection (sunburn).

Physical sunscreens use Zinc Oxide and/or Titanium dioxide.  Some of them (most actually) use "micronized" versions of these, which there is now a debate about.  You can read more about that in the article here: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/120/sun...

Be sure to read all 3 pages, they list physical sunscreens that are micronized but not down to nano-particles which is where the debate lies. One other one they do not list that I really like is Mexitan. http://www.mexitan.com/  I order it online for my daughter. Their particles are large enough to not be considered nano particles.

Hope that helps!

Answer 4

use any children's sunscreen -it's got less chemicals and perfectly effective.  visit the local drugstore for brands.

Answer 5

The best way I found to protect my babies from the sun was to put them in lightweight long sleeve garments in white. They got used to it and stopped complaining after a day or so. They never got overheated.