Avoid oxybenzone when buying sunscreen

Its bad for you, your kids and the ocean!

A recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that 97% of the U.S. population is contaminated with oxybenzone, a penetration enhancer that helps other chemicals sink into your skin. A Mount Sinai School of Medicine companion study published just a day earlier also reported that the chemical is linked to low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy.

Numerous other studies have linked oxybenzone to health concerns including endocrine disruption, cell damage, and cancer. Furthermore it ruins the sealife – certain fish have been known to change gender due to the contermination of oxybenzone.

Of additional concern is that surface area of a child’s skin relative to body weight is greater than that of adults, meaning they stand to absorb more of the chemical.

When buying sunscreen, buy smart. Read the label and avoid sunscreens that contain oxybenzone (also known as benzophenone-3).

It was deemed safe in the 1970s, but new evidence has cast doubt on that. It has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption and cell damage, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). It’s linked to low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers have been exposed during pregnancy. And it’s a “penetration enhancer.” It helps other chemicals penetrate the skin.

The EWG recommends using sunscreens without oxybenzone (benzophenone-3). Choose those with zinc or titanium oxide as the active ingredients.

To speed your search, look for:

* Blue Lizard (anything without oxybenzone)

* California Baby

* Kiss My Face (paraben-free series)

* Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock

* Lavera

Since the safety of oxybenzone is an issue so fraught with uncertainty, it seems prudent to us to find one that’s just as effective without it.