Monday, June 30, 2008

Add This One to the Worry File

A fresh addition to the list of things parents have to worry about is (drumroll, please) ... sunscreen.  

(Just when I had finished congratulating myself for keeping K. sunburn-free so far this summer!)  

Check out this Washington Post article, which reports that "some studies have linked specific chemical UV filters with the transsexualization of male fish and coral reef degradation ... [and] hormone-disrupting activity in lab tests ... and low birth weight in infant girls."

The article goes on to say that other experts (namely the sunscreen industry) say there's nothing to worry about. Riiiight.  

But the takeaway seems to be that if you are worried about the possibility of chemical exposure, use sunscreen containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which are less likely to be absorbed into the skin.

And be sure to bookmark this great database of cosmetic products that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has rated in terms of their toxicity: www.cosmeticdatabase.org.

1 comment:

julie said...

wow. there is quite a lot of toxic crap out there. but at the same time, the most crunchy granola, organic-food-eating, no-makeup-wearing, bike-to-work woman I know is now dying of MS. go fig.

About Me

Arlington, VA, United States
Maestro and mom to a wee virtuoso

I'm #1804