We all try to be diligent with good sun protection, but the US still lags behind Europe in establishing good sunscreen safety standards.
According to the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org), the US remains "stuck in the stone age of sun protection." Many of the sunscreens on the market contain toxins or ingredients that don't effectively protect against certain types of radiation.
Children's products do seem to be safer as they do not contain oxybenzone and often have mineral ingredients.
I am sure you are left wondering on what to do about sun protection. Here are my recommendations. For you and your children, remember the key to preventing sun exposure starts before sunscreen.
1. Wear protective clothing and gear, including sunglasses, hats and long sleeves.
2. Stay out of the sun in peak sun exposure hours, especially between 12nn- 4 pm.
3. Use umbrellas and parasols if in the sun during high sun exposure times.
4. Buy sunscreens without oxybenzone and vitamin A.
5. Stay away from aerosols and powders.
For more information, check out www.ewg.org/sunscreen 2012.
About Me
- Dr. Tasneem Bhatia, M.D.
- Dr. Tasneem Bhatia is an Integrative/Holistic medicine expert, Contributing Editor for Prevention Magazine and Founder/Medical Director of the Atlanta Center for Holistic and Integrative medicine. She is a physician and fellow of the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine lead by Dr.Andrew Weil and Diplomate Fellow in AntiAging and Regenerative Medicine. She grew up in Atlanta where she attended The Westminster Schools. Dr. Bhatia completed her residency in pediatrics at the Medical College of Virginia in 2000, where she received the Emily Gardner award for best pediatric resident. She graduated from medical school at the Medical College of Georgia in 1997. Over time, she became frustrated with modern medicine. Having practiced emergency medicine since 2000, she became seemingly disheartened by the amount of patients who shared her same frustration. This lead to Dr.Bhatia’s exploration into the field of Holistic and Integrative Medicine.
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