Sunscreen: Harmful or Helpful?

We’ve been warned to use sunscreen or risk getting burned–by a case of skin cancer. Strangely, now some salons owners and boutique retailers are refusing to sell sunscreen. Their concern is about the fine chemicals contained in sunscreen’s nanoparticles, which could be absorbed by the skin and take a quick ride straight to your bloodstream.

Sunscreens have been improved in their effectiveness with the use of such finely ground, “nano-sized” titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and synthetic sunscreen ingredients.

Kenneth A. Arndt, MD, a clinical professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and a partner at SkinCare Physicians in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts says, “There have been questions raised about possible toxicity of some of the agents in sunscreen, and about various chemical changes in the skin in laboratory studies.”

However, Arndt says, it’s important to keep the issue in perspective. “These concerns are theoretical, whereas the protective benefits of sunscreen are well proven. Sunscreens effectively inhibit cancer and prevent precancerous changes in the skin, and these well-documented benefits are nothing short of extraordinary. The risk-to- benefit ratio indicates that there’s a lot more concern about the proper use of sunscreen than there is about these toxicities.”

Risk of inaccurate labeling may be a bigger concern. In Europe, sunscreen manufacturers have been banned from using terminology like “total protection” because products can’t really provide complete protection from harmful rays. The FDA is cracking down on claims in the United States and may begin to use a rating system to help consumers understand just how much protection they’re getting.

The best thing to do, says Arndt, is play it by number. “Fifteen is technically an adequate sunscreen, but that’s supposing people are using it properly. Most people don’t put on enough sunscreen and they may not choose a broad-spectrum product,” Ardnt says. “So, I advise an SPF of 30 or higher. That helps make up for sunscreen that isn’t properly applied, and the higher SPFs usually provide broad-spectrum protection.”

Arndt says one sunscreen isn’t ‘better’ than another, “because they all work,” but he notes that “Neutrogena and Aveeno make several nice formulations.” (I like Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock in SPF 55. It has a nice texture and contains Helioplex, the latest weapon in the arsenal against UVA). Whatever you choose to use, slather it on thickly and apply it a half-hour before sun exposure.

For more information and an interesting free monthly newsletter, visit Dr. Arndt on the web at www.skincarephysicians.net.

—Michele Deppe