Whoa, sunscreen

By now you've probably heard about the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) analysis of studies on sunscreen done by the US's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that basically says sunscreens are not doing what they say they're doing, and may actually be causing skin cancer.

If you haven't heard about it, here's a pretty clear story from AOL Health and here's the actual EWR report and searchable database of what sunscreens are decent and which ones are bad.

I read it through once and panicked, and put my head in the sand for about 18 hours. Then I ,put on my big-girl panties and realized I had to figure out what was going on. But I need some help, so if you all could help us all figure out what this all means, I'd really appreciate it.

What I *think* I'm getting from all of this:

1. Sun protection isn't just about sunscreen. Stay in the shade, wear protective clothing, hats, etc.

2. Continue to use sunscreen. Mineral sunscreens are safer than chemical sunscreens are because chemical sunscreens can do things to our hormones. Nanoparticles of mineral sunscreens may not be safe. But we don't know for sure yet.

3. Don't use sunscreen that contains retinol or Vitamin A products because in tests it increased incidence of cancer.

If anyone out there who understands reading scientific studies can confirm, deny, or expand on that, you'd be doing us all a great service.

Now, to be selfish here for a minute. I don't honestly really care about sunscreen theory in general. I'm just concerned about my kids first, and then me. Two priorities:

1. I want to find a sunscreen that my two fair-skinned kids can use that will protect them (understanding that there's no such thing as perfect protection).

2. And I want to find a few products that I can use. I use retinol on my face at night because I'd rather not look my 37 years, and, honestly, I'm not going to stop. So I need to find a facial protection product that's a) not going to make things worse, and b) will give me sun protection. And I need a product for my body (probably what the kids use).

So please help sort all this out, so we can stop staying inside out of fear of using our normal sunscreens.

Comments

[LAM]

I like the California Baby products for kids. It's EXPENSIVE and a pain to apply, but seems to protect well. Recently tried Blue Lizard based on EWG rankings from last year, and my daughter got burned the first time we used it.

[Beth]

Oddly I just read this http://www.zrecommends.com/detail/thinkbaby-sunscreen which sounds great. They also recommend Badger brand. I have just started using 'Invisible Zinc' and am finding it quite good, but not that moisturising for a dry Australian winter.

[carmie]

Facial moisturizer - I've been using the Devita with SPF 30 for a couple years now and it's working as well or better than the Clinique I was using before. Some nights I'll use a heavy Clinique cream under my eyes, but during the day, it's all Devita.

I use Badger on the kids and they've never burned out in our fierce Colorado sun.

[Jessie]

I second the California baby products. They are a pain to apply BUT they do make the glue stick-like applicator. The nice thing is, you can buy it at Target and don't have to go to a specialty store. I had a hard time tracking down 'natural' sunscreens that actually work when I took my 2-month-old to the beach. I'm happy to report, he didn't burn, or seem to get much sun at all. Turns out it's really not about the spf.. 30 is fine.. it's about the coverage.

[flea]

I'm going to order a rashguard shirt and swim shorts for my daughter (son is covered there already). The actual sunscreen thing is a real problem - we live in Georgia, my kids are reddish-blonde, and who the hell can afford sunscreen at close to $20 for 3 ounces (when you're supposed to apply 1 ounce each time you wear it!)? I mean, we're rich, and I balk at that! Add that my daughter is sensitive to a lot of sunscreens (so we have to test them to make sure she doesn't break out), you can't buy the pricey ones easily here, and she's embarrassed by zinc oxide showing. And she won't wear a hat. And she's at summer camp, outside in the sunniest part of the day often enough, 5 days a week. I don't know what the hell to do.

[Kate]

We go through sunscreen here like it's going out of style. Seriously. Redheaded children in the Middle East. In the "winter" too, unless it's forecast to be a rainy day...and a true "rain all day" rainy day almost never happens.

If I used California Baby, Nature's Gate, etc. I'd be broke. Ditto if I used the Israeli sunscreens, which I hope are good, for what they are charging (approx $30 for a bottle that's probably around 14 oz). The price of sunscreen here makes me livid, because of course everyone needs it, most of the time, and people only tend to *really* use it at the beach or hiking, not for just walking around or sending kids to school (where they play outside, natch). Sigh. And in 30 years we'll all be paying for everyone's skin cancer treatments.

Every time someone comes to visit me I ask them to bring me a bottle of Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50, which rates a 3 at the EWG with no additional concerns. That is honestly ok with me. We wear hats all the time in the summer, but long sleeves/long pants when it is 95 degrees for most of the day, every day, in the summer is just unrealistic.

Of course I had been using Neutrogena on myself, which is rated "WTF are you doing wearing this?!?!"...maybe I will switch to the Coppertone also.

[TheLuckyGal]

I live in Australia (moved here from Seattle) and kids are REQUIRED to wear WIDE brim hats in terms 1 and 4 and most kids wear "rashee" tops at the beach / pool. Some kids wear swim HATS. (Take a look at the photo of my DD in my banner for the school uniform hat - serious sun protection.) Plus, most playgrounds have shade sails over them. The sunscreen we used is an Aussie brand (Cancer Council) so it isn't EWG rated. Go buy hats!!

[TheLuckyGal]

(Right, no need to click through the see my banner - there she is!)

[maria]

I am really bad about sunscreen. I know, give me the Bad Mama award. My daughter doesn't burn easily, and neither do I, and I'm just not very diligent. I do make sure to use it when we're going to be on/by the water and in other especially sun-intense situations. For normal everyday playing in the backyard or whatever though, I don't do it.

We use Badger 30 spf and hope for the best. Part of my rationalization for not being good about applying it has been exactly the chemical/hormonal concerns that are being publicized now. I'm going to get her a rash guard and swim shorts for this year, and a new sun hat too.

This is one of those no-good-answer parenting dilemmas, I think.

[Cynthia]

The SafeMama people have good cheat sheets for sunscreens and other products. Of course, the tend to recommend the super, super expensive brands. Here's the 2010 Sunscreen Cheat Sheet: http://safemama.com/2010/04/09/safemamas-2010-safer-sunscreen-cheat-sheet/

[td]

This is a subject near and dear to my heart--myself, husband and son are all of 100% irish-american descent, blue-eyed, extremely fair skinned and with strong family histories of skin cancer.

we're religious users of either California Baby or Badger sunscreens, whichever Target has on the shelves. yeah, it's expensive but i've had far too much first-hand experience w/ skin cancer and it's horrible, horrible, horrible. I'm not trying to be a fear monger but whatever i can do to lessen that risk, so be it.

we also use Lands End swimwear (SPF 50) and Coolibar hats.

the interesting part of the EWG info for me was the discussion about the FDA being far behind Europe and Australia in approving new sun screens/sun protection technology. So even though you can't buy some of those sunscreens here in the US, Amazon has no problem shipping them. I just purchased this:
http://tinyurl.com/32rklvg

[Laurel]

I bought Blue Lizard for my daughter because she has very sensitive skin. I've been really happy with it, and she is fine as long as I don't apply it sparingly. And, since I'm pregnant, I'm using it myself and it's been great, and I burn if I'm outside for 15 minutes without sunscreen.

[Bonnie]

Maybe we should start making clothes in solerveil material?

[mom2boy]

The rash guard shirts really work and by the difference in color between my sons forearms and upper arms, the sunscreen I'm using does not.

[Wilhelmina]

Contrary to what one might expect it's easy to get sun-burned in the UK even when it's not sunny.

Last weekend had stunning sunny weather like a bolt of golden happiness from the sky after a long winter. As always there were plenty of burned adults on show, shoulders, legs, faces etc. First sunny day tradition.

Sadly one London mum sunned herself on Brighton beach and laid her five month old right next to her. The poor mite was hospitalised with 40% burns. The most extreme example of the urge here to soak up every ray and get a tan after spending all winter in.

Anyhow, rant over.

My two year old won't wear a hat, even if mummy and daddy wear hats.Refusal from birth, born in January so I got lots of " your baby needs a hat " we're working on sunglasses.

She is in long denim trousers and a long sturdy shirt every day because of her eczema. I put her in cute short sleeved pyamas last weekend and there were torn open arms in the morning. So she's got to wear full clothes coverage.

I burn like a crisp so also wear the long sleeves and trousers.

The only Badger I can get here has essential oils in it which gives essential itch to my little girl.

So we use the La Roche Posay Anthelios 40 on all exposed bits.

That is over my daughter's usual emollient and over moisturiser for me. Sunscreens are too drying otherwise.

I also am careful about total exposure in day. Not for my daughter who has her father's skin and takes sun well, but for me.

I really feel for Flea who has the daughter and fierce Georgia sunshine to contend with. Ouch.

[MamaBirdNYC]

Okay, a little perspective from the sciences over here:
1. It's not that all chemical sunscreens are bad; just skip those with Vitamin A and oxybenzone.
2. If you're using a vitamin A (retinol) product at night, you must be more diligent about applying sunscreen during the day. It these make you more sensitive to sun (during my Retin-A and then accutane years, I became an olive skinned person who burned like a redhead!).
3. The amount of sunscreen to put on is, well, a lot.
4. Other sun protection is always smart.

In short: read ingredients; skip retinol and oxybenzone; use large quantities.

No reason to freak out or panic on this one-- we KNOW lots of sun is bad for the skin, so even inadequate coverage with sunscreen is better than nothing.

[Julie]

Another California Baby fan here. Works great on both DS and me!

[paola]

For kids with atopic dermatitis my son's dermatologist recommended BIODERMA SPF 40. It's spray on and easily absorbed. No break outs at all, unlike with all the other sunscreens I have used in the past. Don't know if it's available outside Europe, sorry.

[Jen]

Blue Lizard sunscreen from Australia. Do some research on the brand and the Australian standards for sunscreen ratings. Blue Lizard has been amazing and it is a staple in our house. We actually order the gallon size with a pump from Amazon.

[attiton]

Thanks, MamaBirdNYC.

[Summer]

I just looked up the ingredients in my favorite facial product. Octinoxate and octisalate, both rated moderate hazard, at 6 and 3 respectively. I'd prefer low hazard, but because I love the product so much I'm going to keep using it. It's Avon Magix Face Perfector, $10 or less for a tube. It's a face primer with SPF 20, and it feels nice going on and makes my skin look smooth and even. I wear it every day, either alone or under mineral makeup (which adds additional sun protection.) Love it.

For my son, I've been using aerosol sunscreens because they are so quick and easy to apply... but it's likely not the healthiest choice. But going out unprotected into the Florida sun isn't a good idea either!

[hush]

Hmm... I'll be honest. On this data, I'm not sure I'm as 100% persuaded as folks here seem to be that some sunscreens are this big, bad, baddie worth freaking out about. I also don't think I buy the "some sunscreens cause cancer!" line anymore than I would pay heed to a headline that screamed "news flash: the sun causes cancer!" I don't mean to be glib. Sun protection is a valid concern, but let's not go overboard with the worry.

We also have to consider the fact that the sun is also a beneficial source of vitamin D. Many are becoming vitamin D deficient. So there's a balance we need to strike, as I see it.

Do your due diligence, absolutely, and follow the recommendations of avoiding the sun during peak hours, applying/re-applying the correct amount, etc. But look, if scary-toned articles like this get more people to first just consider that sunscreen might be a helpful thing, then great. If, however, it takes us to a feel-awful, stick our heads in the sand place, then it becomes fear-mongering and NOT helpful. Know what I mean?

[Rayne of Terror]

Of course all the fresh bottles of sunscreen I have are chock full of oxybenzone on the day my son has a sprinkler park fieldtrip.

[LittlePumpkin]

Re: the vitamin A, be sure to look for retinyl palmitate in the label. I recently discovered Neutrogena pure & free baby sunblock and I was converted, b/c it uses the physical blockers and goes on smoothly like a lotion, not so thick. But after reading more about vitamin A on the EWG site, I realized that my newly beloved sunscreen was hiding vitamin A in its ingredients list ("retinyl palmitate")! Sigh. Back to the drawing board.

What do people do about the difficulty of applying the thick creamy sunscreens to wiggly kids? My 5 y.o. is moderately tolerant, but the baby just will not put up with it.

[Lala]

We love Blue Lizard sensitive or baby (they are the same thing) for body. Neutrogena Pure and Simple stick for the kid's face; recently converted to Devita SPF 30 for my face. We used to use California baby but it's wicked expensive. And hats!

[mom2boy]

Also not to put all the blame on the sunscreen, I don't apply it everyday like I should and I almost rarely put on enough or the 20 minutes prior. So maybe it's just me and not the sunscreen. I'm going to try and follow the directions a little better and see if the results improve.

[Koshercow]

@kate - yes me too: "Of course I had been using Neutrogena on myself, which is rated "WTF are you doing wearing this?!?!"...maybe I will switch to the Coppertone also."

[Irene]

If you're really worried, I would check out some of the science on PubMed. This is just my personal opinion, but EWG appears to be the kind of environmental group that tends to overstate risks and does not present a balanced picture - according to them, it seems like everything is toxic and every toxin is highly dangerous. I have my doubts about whether the scientific literature they cited is an accurate representation of the current knowlegde.

But regardless of whether sunscreen is dangerous, it can't hurt to stay in the shade and keep covered up most of the time.

[CaliBoo]

A few thoughts 1) I am always suspicious when anyone does a "ranking" of specific products. It's something to keep in mind that even non-profit groups have their own motives that are often tied to where their funding came from. 2) I hate when someone comes out with a crazy headline like "sunscreen causes cancer", it makes me really doubt their goal in publishing their results. Is it to get attention by scaring people, or is it to improve health? 3) it is important to note that they only did their rankings based on the ingredients, they did not do actual tests of the products. There is no accounting for the amounts of each ingredient in the product, and with any ingredient, the risk is in the *dose*. Unfortunately, most manufacturers will not provide much information on quantities of ingredients, so I understand that the only way they could assess the ingredients would be to do testing of each product.
In summary, I think that their ratings are half-baked, not scientific, but more or less a resource for ingredients in sunscreen (but note that their ingredient lists were compiled from what online retailers said the ingredients were, I have run into instances where the ingredients on the website don't match the product). I don't think this "ranking" should be used to rule out a product that you like and works for you. The best form of sun protection is the one that you use, or that you can get on your kids.
TheLuckyGal brought up a really good point - in Australia they are very serious about sun protection, especially for kids, and it's a lot easier to get kids to wear the big hats when everyone has to.

[Erika]

I might get a bad mom award here, but we don't use sunscreen much at all. My daughter and I both have olive skin that doesn't easily burn. I try to keep a hat on her (and me!) and avoid the peak hours, stay in the shade when possible, etc. But if we're going on a boat or to the beach or have a full day out in the sun planned, then we pull out the California Baby. But playing outside for an hour here and there? Almost never. I think the Cal. Baby stuff works okay, but I HATE trying to get it washed off at bathtime. It takes a lot of scrubbing which makes for an unhappy kid. That is part of my reluctance to use it more often.

I realize skin cancer is a valid concern, but I also LIVED at the beach all summer, every summer as a child in the 70s & 80s and I don't think sunscreen existed. Or at least not in our house. I've been checked by a dermatologist and have no skin cancer concerns.

Again, I try to be smart about the sun. But honestly there are SO MANY things to worry about as a parent and this concern just doesn't make my Top Ten list.

[caramama]

Oh how I miss the days when I would wear tanning oil and sun bath all day without concern of burning or skin cancer. Sometimes I long for my youthful days in ignorance...

[anatomist]

the skin deep site is great for finding out which sunscreens (or lotions or makeup) are free of cancer causing ingredients, they have a pretty good rating system that is really transparent and lets you decide which ingredients you are prioritizing. (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) zrecs has really good info on a lot of products as well and that is where i got my info on sunscreen. we use the california baby and badger (i think... we haven't seen sun in a long time so i don't quite remember...).

[Ellen]

I like Ecolani sunscreen:

http://www.lanisimpson.com/store/ecolani-skin-and-sun-care.html

expensive as well but has all the right stuff.

[Wilhelmina]

On skepticism about the findings, I may have got this completely wrong but I got the impression that animal tests were used.

That means shaving animals and then exposing them to UV light lamps while applying sunscreens. That's not doing test on human cells.

I'm not always anti vivisection but skin research on animals sadly often doesn't reflect human skin.

[mickie]

We use CA Baby for the baby, and less expensive brands for me. My son is allergic to chemical sunscreens, and California Baby is the only brand that doesn't cause a raging rash for him.

And, I grew up in the '80s too, with limited sunscreen application, though I was never a sunbather. Last year (when my son was 4 months old) I was diagnosed with Stage 1 melanoma. Fortunately we caught it before it became metastatic. It could have killed me if I had waited a year. I now have an 8 inch "voldemort" scar on my shin. I was off my feet and unable to care for my son for two weeks, and it took 6 months for it to fully heal over (I had several nasty rounds of infections, as healing below the knee can be tricky).

So, slather your kids up!!!!!!! And yourself!

[mo]

I'm not so great about putting sunscreen on my boys (especially for the short bouts of exposure) so I'm a STRONG proponent of those long sleeved rash guards. My boys find them comfortable and then I only really need to apply suncreen to their faces, necks and their legs.

We switched to TruKids lotion (not the stick - too hard to get on) which ranks as a 3 on the list. I can live with that since my boys love the smell of the lotion so there is no fussing whatsoever when putting it on. Goes on easy, not so sticky so I figure we are more likely to use it and that has to count for something.

I'd been using Nutrogena on me so I guess I'm in the same group of WTF am I doing to my self. I found a brand (Australian, I think) called HissyFit that I LOVE but it is pricy and wasn't tested so not sure how it ranks.

[Claudia]

@Caliboo and Irene: Totally agree with you.

For the record, I've been using Dr. T's Supergoop spf 30, and really like it because it a) works to prevent sunburn/tan, b) goes on smoothly and not sticky or greasy, and c) doesn't stain clothes. Since I've been in Denmark, I've tried about 12 different brands to find something to fulfill at least one if not two of these criteria, and failed. I order Supergoop from the states. It does contain vitamin A (it's proudly stated on the front label!) and I don't know if C12-15 alkyl benzoate is the same or similar to oxybenzoate, so don't know if that is the other no-no in it or not.

[Lisa]

All 3 of us have sensitive skin, and T. inherited DH's light-sensitive blue eyes and my fine hair, plus my super-fair (Irish-Lithuanian Jewish) skin. *And* DH is bald. So...

We go through a lot of unscented California Baby 30 - cream and stick. (I wish they made a spray, but maybe that's difficult with physical sunscreens?) But I'm less religious than i should be about application (we're in oft-foggy SF). DH very occasionally gets mild sunburn on his head, and me on neck and chest - but the kid is so far unscathed.

But mostly we wear hats and long sleeves and sometimes sunglasses - easy here, since it seldom gets too hot. Luckily T. wants to wear hats just like his dad, and neither leaves the house without at least one (usually both brimmed hat and beanie in the bag, for fun local-weather roulette). I have a crushable straw hat I keep in my bag.

It's kind of funny - my kid's always the one in a cap and long-sleeved tee and jeans when the other kids are in shorts, but thankfully that's what he's comfortable in.

By the way - I'm super fair-skinned, so wasn't worrying about the Vitamin D thing. But it turned out I was quite deficient in it, to the point that it (along with B12 deficiency) was affecting my mood. So now T. and I take daily D supplement, and I'm muuuch calmer.

[Alisha]

I look forward to reading all these comments--just wanted to quickly ask a related question before this thread dries up. I NEED a sunscreen for my little girl that doesn't exacerbate her eczema! Maybe one doesn't exist. Luckily, she is fairly dark and doesn't burn, and as a bonus we live in Maine where it's not a year-long issue (although it was 90 here yesterday!) But her poor arms are already raw and bleedy from scratching after only a few hot days! And I feel torn about just leaving them exposed all summer. Any ideas? Thank you!

[Cloud]

@Caliboo said it perfectly. Particularly the bit about dose.

I've been super busy, so haven't made the time to go read the report and formulate a careful opinion yet. One thing to remember is that these rankings are based on a compilation of a lot of different published data. The information the EWG is publishing is aimed at the general public, and my quick skim of their methods section doesn't really tell me the gory details, like whether they included every single study they could find in their meta-analysis, and if they didn't, what their exclusion criteria were. Also, how do they compare results across studies with different methodologies? I know that there are methods for doing that, but I can't tell what they did.

I'd feel a lot better about their conclusions if they would write them up in a scientific paper and submit them for peer review. Maybe that is in the works?

In the meantime, we'll keep using our sunscreens. I know with quite a bit of certainty that unprotected exposure to the sun can cause cancer- I can even explain the mechanism. These chemicals? My take is that there are some studies that indicate they may cause cancer. But there has not been a single definitive peer-reviewed study, because man, that would have been a high profile paper that I would not have missed.

I'm lucky in that my 3 year old likes wearing hats. I had just recently bought her a swimsuit with a rashguard top and cute little bottoms- that is way easier for pottying, anyway.

Finally, remember the saying about who goes out in the midday sun- mad dogs and Englishmen. Seriously, we try to time our beach trips for morning.

[Erin]

I'm also with Irene and Caliboo. :) I don't have the time to go hunting, but I'd love to read more about the methods they used in the animal studies. I remember when the news came out about BPA in bottles, I found a table that discussed the methods in some of those studies, and some of the things they did (such as using water far hotter than anyone's dishwasher would ever get) were extremely far from many people's real-world conditions. I'm not saying people shouldn't be careful, but I'm often pretty skeptical about these kinds of reports, even when we're talking about a non-profit group.

I guess I can technically afford the expense of "good" sunscreens, but honestly, I'm not worried enough to spend a fortune on them. Plus, I found that some of the brands I tried were annoying. For example, Jason sunscreen got all over everything and would run into my daughter's eyes (ouch!). With California Baby, I felt like I was using outrageous amounts with each application to get decent coverage on squirmy children, and it would often end up being a traumatic experience. Other brands that I can't name off the top of my head have caused rashes.

So, I think we'll stick with what we're using now, because it's working for us, and really emphasizing protective clothing when we happen to be out during the sunnier times of day. Swimsuits like the Coolibar ones are wonderful, and I'm getting super strict about hat wearing this year. One thing that's been helping my children with the latter is for ME to wear a hat, too--which is obviously something I should be doing anyway, especially as someone with two parents who have had skin cancer.

[Sharon @proactiveparenting]

I haven't read all the posts, but funny that this would come up.
I was gifted with a short surprise trip to San Diego this week by two friends for my birthday. One is a Clinique representative, so naturally we were discussing sunscreen. I began complaining about my moisturizer with sunscreen in it and she said that what they learned in Clinique school was that sunscreen blocks the delivery system of moisture to the skin.

So for Moxie and others, to keep our faces younger, it's better to use a moisturizer without sunscreen in it, let that soak in and apply sunscreen after that.

Here in AZ, sun capital of the world, it's already 95, everyone wears hats with things that cover the back of their neck. I was also told to pay attention to the days when the sun really feels like it's burning, those are the dangerous days, the sun is really burning you. Versus the days when it's just hot and the sun is shining brightly.

Can't wait to read the wisdom you all have to share about what the best sunscreen is for little ones!
Great topic Moxie.

[Camilla]

I use sunscreen to prevent sunburn, not to prevent tanning, and the same goes for my kids. We are blond, but tan nicely - the eight month old baby currently has some noticeable tan on his forearms, as compared to the creases at wrist and elbow. So basically, I use sunscreen if I'm traveling to altitude or the beach, and not otherwise.

In the cost-benefit analysis, measures that discourage us from getting exercise and spending time outdoors have a pretty high cost attached.

I have not had a doctor tell me that preventing a natural suntan is a priority. My reading of the studies is that getting burned is the well-established and substantial risk.

[BadMamaAnonymous]

AAAAA! I had no freaking idea. Thank you, Moxie. now to read the comments...

[Susan]

Well, I'm semi-pleased to find out that my Coppertone Water Babies rated a 3. But, I think I'll check out the California Baby the next time I make a purchase. As for my face, I use Cetaphil moisturizer with SPF 15 on a daily basis, which wasn't in the rating system. I'm sure it scores something rotten, but I'm more worried about the baby than me, honestly.

[Slim]

Like some others above, I think this is one more situation in which the perfect becomes the enemy of the good. If I can find it easily, my kids will use it (they each have a different favorite), and it's not giving anyone a rash, I'm going to call it good and move on.

[Slim]

Also, if you're checking for nanoparticles, don't believe the manufacturer's claims:
http://www.consumerreports.org/health/healthy-living/beauty-personal-care/skincare/no-nano-sunscreens-12-08/overview/no-nano-sunscreens-ov.htm

[lauracamacho]

I use a locally made organic product that I love!

Daily moisturizer with spf 12:
http://www.angelinaskincare.com/store/index.cfm?action=ViewDetails&ItemID=96&Category=198

Sunscreen with spf 30+:
http://www.angelinaskincare.com/store/index.cfm?action=ViewDetails&ItemID=259&Category=50

[anon]

I am not convinced about the research regarding suntanning and cancer. Blistering sunburns, yes, but suntans no. We know for sure that sun exposure creates wrinkles, but truly I can live with wrinkles. What I worry about is Vitamin D deficiency and the elevated risk of breast cancer that comes with extensive sunscreen use.

Folks, stay in the shade mid-day and learn to love your laugh lines. We don't have to look 20 forever.

[Already have the GOOD kind of skin cancer, thanks.]

Anon,

It's not about wanting to look 20 forever, it's about not wanting to have little bits of my face cut off for biopsy. Again, I mean.

I'd rather take a Vitamin D pill and skip the tan, frankly.

I'm a little disturbed by the cavalier attitude towards sun protection that keeps cropping up, especially towards kids. I'm not saying we all have to freak out and live underground like the Morlocks, but COME ON.

We know about skin cancer.
We know what causes it.
Sunscreen is widely available.
Therefore...?