Sunscreen: Still Shady

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


July 4th weekend beach time is upon us, and the FDA still hasn’t finalized its rules about what sunscreen manufacturers can claim on sunscreen labels. The new regulations were proposed back in 2007, and two years later, they still haven’t been published. That means sunscreen manufacturers are still getting away with exaggerated claims. (“All day protection!” “Sweat proof!” “SPF 100!” Sound familiar?) The Environmental Working Group recently posted its 2009 Sunscreen Guide, and it found that three out of five sunscreens on the market still either don’t work as well as they claim to or contain potentially hazardous chemicals, or both. Not exactly what you want to hear right before your holiday weekend on the beach.

On the bright side: EWG found that this year, 70 percent of sunscreen products contain strong UVA filters, compared to just 29 percent in 2008. Another improvement: This year, 19 percent fewer sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a UV blocker that scientists suspect seeps into the skin and enters the bloodstream.

Still, it’s awfully hard to tell from the labels which products are safe and effective. And that’s bad news for those of us who don’t want to spend our summer beach days dressed like the folks in the picture.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate