Should We Be Worried About Chemicals in Sunscreen?
So, it only takes one day for 4 of the big chemicals in sunscreen to get into our bloodstreams apparently. As a mom (and wearer of sunscreen), this freaks me out a little.
A department within the US Food and Drug Administration has been looking at the ingredients in sunscreen, and they've figured out that it only takes one day for the chemicals avobenzone, oxybenzone, ecamsule, and octocrylene to find their way into our bloodstreams. I don't know much about those chemicals, but they don't sound like guests that our blood would want to invite to a party.
The FDA says we shouldn't freak out though. Their goal right now is to get manufacturers to do more research on the chemicals before they can be considered totally safe, and they don't want the rest of us to worry too much. They say "the sun is the real enemy," so we should continue to wear sunscreen and wait for more info. (Also, it used to drive me nuts when my mom would say "they say" and now I'm doing it. Who are THEY?! In this case, it's the FDA and they're telling us to keep wearing sunscreen. Yes, mother.)
The kids don't usually have enough patience for lotion, so let's keep spraying them down with sunscreen in the garage before we head out to the pool this summer. And try not to worry that we could be harming them for life by trying to protect them. Good grief! At least the coconut scent smells good.
See you at Roaring Springs this summer. In a turtleneck and pants. That'll work.