No Tan Lines – No Parabens

Kay Sexton — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:18:52 +0000

It’s that time of year when, despite what we know, despite our understanding that a tan is not a natural sign of glowing health, but rather a first sign of incipient skin aging, despite the recognition that jetting off to hotter climes for a quick ‘brown over’ destroys the planet, we want to be golden!

Environmental Defense Fund: Burning Questions - Are Sunscreens Containing Nanomaterials Safe?

edfblog — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:45:56 +0000

This post is by Cal Baier-Anderson, Ph.D., a Health Scientist at Environmental Defense Fund.

Ah, summer! It’s a great time to be outdoors, enjoying the warm, sunny weather. Before you go outside, be sure to grab your sunscreen, that essential product that protects against skin cancer and sun damage. But which kind of sunscreen is best? There is a mesmerizing array of sunscreen options, but for our purposes let’s limit the question to one: Nano or not nano?

We all recall the white noses of the beach lifeguards. The zinc oxide or titanium dioxide in these nose-protecting potions form a thick, white barrier that blocks damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation by reflecting and scattering light. These days, nanoscale titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are increasingly popular sunscreen ingredients, as they provide a UV barrier but are nearly transparent.

Green Options » suntan

No Tan Lines – No Parabens

Environmental Defense Fund: Burning Questions - Are Sunscreens Containing Nanomaterials Safe?