Consumer Reports article shows many sunscreens do not protect against dangerous UVA rays
June 15, 2011 – Consumer Reports has published the results of tests it has conducted on popular suntan lotions to evaluate their efficacy and safety. Here is a summary of the results:
Many popular suntan lotions do not protect against the most dangerous UVA rays
- UVB rays cause sunburns but do not fully penetrate the skin; UVA rays, however, are more dangerous since they go deeper into skin tissue and can cause Melanoma (skin cancer).
- Many of the suntan products tested did not do an “excellent” job of blocking UVA rays
Suntan lotions must be re-applied at least every 2 hours, and none are water-proof
- You must apply at least 1 oz. of lotion on every exposed part of your body at least every 2 hours, which would empty an average tube of lotion before day’s end.
- If your are swimming or in contact with water, the frequency of application increases as none of the products tested were really “water-proof.” Consumer Reports considered claims such as “water-proof” or “all day” to be false advertising.
Most sunscreens tested contain some harmful ingredients
- Almost every sunscreen tested by Consumer Reports Health contains some ingredients associated with adverse health effects in animal studies.
- One wonders from the above statement if the potential health risk of the chemicals found in suntan lotions justifies the perceived protection from the sun?
Stay on the safe side! Provide shaded areas for residents at public gathering places
- The Consumer Reports study shows applying suntan lotion does not guarantee safety from the sun
- There is no substitute for staying in the shade, and Shade Systems CoolNetTM shade fabric is shown to screen out up to 99% of the sun’s dangerous UV rays.
More information is available at the Consumer Reports webpage for this topic..
