Summer has unofficially reached the half way point - hope
everyone's enjoying the warm weather and the respite from the
hustle and bustle of the school year.
I have had the chance to get down to the beach a few times in
the last several weeks, and one thing I noticed is that a lot of
parents seem to be using spray on sunscreen on their kids. My
first thought was what a great idea, especially for the squirmy
little guys who can't seem to stand still long enough to get
slathered up, or for kids like mine who have sensory problems and
don't like the feel of creams or lotions on their skin.
Well, for every great idea, it seems there is a downside.
The Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. issued a press release
in June on sunscreen effectiveness and apparently will also
investigate the safety of spray on sunscreens. Apparently
there is a greater chance of inhalation of the chemicals in these
types of sunscreens due to the aerosols they contain, and parents
have been advised by Consumer Reports to avoid using these on their
kids, at least for the time being until further testing is
complete. If you do use these, they suggest
you spray the sunscreen into the palm of your hand and
apply it as you would a lotion or cream. Sort of eliminates
the convenience factor, though.
The consensus remains among experts that the benefits of
using sunscreen outweigh any potential risks. Reading the
label is a good practice, whether with food or any other product,
and there are certain things to look out for.
Some of the chemicals in sunscreens have been linked to adverse
health effects, particularly in children. In the past,
parents have been warned to avoid sunscreens containing some of
these chemicals, including
oxybenzone, a suspected hormone
disruptor, and retinyl palmitate, a form
of vitamin A that is suspected of actually increasing skin cancer
risk in some instances. An ingredient that appears to be safe
for kids is avobenzone, so look for
labels containing this. Babies under the age of 6 months
shouldn't have sunscreen applied to their skin at all, and should
be totally shielded at all times from the sun.
They are also considering limiting the SPF (sun protection)
factor to 50 because above that level, there doesn't seem to be any
increased protection. There can be a false sense of security
with higher SPFs, and apparently beyond a certain point they are
all basically the same. Sunscreens need to be reapplied
frequently to avoid sunburn, and this includes water resistant and
"sport" sunscreens.
To complicate the matter, there is growing scientific evidence
that over the course of the last few decades, levels of vitamin D
in the general population are falling, and some think this is
related to the blocking effect of sunscreens. Vitamin D is
best produced in the body by sun exposure on the skin, however, ten
minutes per day in early morning or in late afternoon when the
sun's rays are not so damaging appears to work best.
Supplements are another alternative.
One of the best pieces of advice is for parents to ensure that
they limit the amount of time kids are in direct sunlight -
and avoid being in the sun between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm -
and make sure they wear light, protective clothing and spend as
much time as possible in the shade.
Summer in Canada is short and sweet, so hope that everyone
enjoys the next few weeks . Let's all stay safe and
make the most of summer!
