Hidden dangers at the beach?

As you all know, I am concerned about the chemicals we use on our bodies. Our personal care products often contain harmful ingredients that we, the consumers, do not know about. I found the following article on sunscreens most interesting. Parents slather sunscreen on their children and themselves, but should carefully read the labels and know what to look for when they do.

JUNE EDITION - 2014 Watch Out for These Hidden Sunscreen Risks It's true. Excess exposure to the sun's UV rays can increase your risk of certain types of skin cancer. So shielding our precious skin with sunscreen this summer makes a lot of sense. After all, our goal is to avoid the risk of melanomas and carcinomas as much as possible. But protecting your skin may not be quite as easy as you thought. It turns out many of the sunscreens you are counting on may contain hazardous chemicals. And those compounds could actually increase your risk of developing cancer of the skin! Worse, they may even be altering the function of your hormones. Here's what you need to know… Some sunscreens contain retinyl palmitate. And since it's a form of vitamin A, it sounds like it should be healthy. But it's not. Studies show retinyl palmitate speeds up the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight. PABA used to be popular in sunscreens. But we don't see it much anymore. That's because it attacks your DNA and causes genetic mutation when it's exposed to sunlight. However you can still find it in some products. Look for padimate-O or octyl dimethyl on the ingredient list. Then avoid them. Another ingredient often found in sunscreens is methylparaben. Breast cancer tumors contain high concentrations of this compound. When it's exposed to UVB light rays, it increases cell death and oxidation in human skin. Other parabens, along with a chemical called oxybenzone, can also act as hormone disruptors. Simply put, that means they can potentially affect sexual development and reproductive function in children. In girls, that means early sexual development. In boys it's just the opposite. It can affect the production of testosterone and stunt testicular development. So before buying a sunscreen product, make sure to check for retinyl palmitate, PABA, oxybenzone and any words ending in "paraben" (i.e., propylparaben, butylparaben, etc.) For maximum protection without added cancer risk, the Environmental Working Group suggests choosing a zinc or titanium base with no added chemicals.  This is from news@e.nutri-health.com .