FDA Expands Sunscreen Ingredient List

chemical structure of bemotrizinol (graphic by ChemDoc 2010)

compiled from several sources

For the first time in 20 years the list of ingredients allowed in sunscreen products in the United States has been expanded. Bemotrizinol has been sucessfully used in Europe, Australia, and part of Asia for many years. By the end of 2026, consumers in the US will be able to find products with this chemical.

All previously approved products here are effective against only UVA or UVB rays. Sunscreens typically contain a mixture of chemicals that will block both. UVA causes wrinkles and aging of the skin while UVB causes sunburn. However, bemotrizinol blocks across the UV spectrum.

Bemotrizinol shows low levels of absorption through the skin which has been a concern with some other sunscreen ingredients, although there has been no clear determination whether this causes harm. For example, oxybenzone, a currently approved chemical has been detected in blood at 515 times the FDA’s threshold of concern after a single weekend of application. It is also highly photostable, breaking down much more slowly than other products.

It has been approved in Europe for the past 26 years.

See an article from NBC


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EPA Offers SunWise Curriculum

The SunWise School Program is an environmental and health education program that aims to teach children and their caregivers how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun. Through the use of classroom-, school-, and community-based components, SunWise seeks to develop sustained sun-safe behaviors in schoolchildren.

SunWise Partner Schools receive materials that facilitate cross-curricular classroom learning. The program also encourages schools to provide a sun-safe infrastructure, including shade structures (e.g., canopies, trees) and policies (e.g., using hats, sunscreen, sunglasses) that promote sun protection in a school setting. Though based in schools, SunWise also supports community partnerships, such as inviting guest speakers to school assemblies, to enhance sun safety efforts.

Recognizing the many issues schools are asked to address daily, SunWise was developed with the needs of schools and educators in mind. The program was designed to provide maximum flexibility elements and can be used as stand-alone teaching tools or to complement existing school curricula. The time commitment necessary to implement SunWise is minimal, while the potential payoff in lower skin cancer rates - and other health benefits in the future - is high.

The SunWise School Program was pilot tested in 130 schools in 38 states during the 1999-2000 school year. National implementation began in the 2000-2001 school year. The components of the SunWise Program are available to Partner Schools free of charge.

from the Environmental Protection Agency
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Sunshine - It's Good For You

Study finds boost in vitamin D could outweigh skin cancer risks in certain populations

more sunshine might be good for you photo by Geoffrey Woodley, stock.xchng

A new study by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and colleagues in Norway suggests that the benefits of moderately increased exposure to sunlight - namely the production of vitamin D, which protects against the lethal effects of many forms of cancer and other diseases - may outweigh the risk of developing skin cancer in populations deficient in vitamin D.

"We know that solar radiation is the leading cause of skin cancer," said communicating author Richard Setlow, but solar radiation is also a major, if not the main, source of vitamin D in humans. In the presence of sunlight, the body converts certain precursor chemicals to active vitamin D.

"Since vitamin D has been shown to play a protective role in a number of internal cancers and possibly a range of other diseases, it is important to study the relative risks to determine whether advice to avoid sun exposure may be causing more harm than good in some populations." The concern, he says, is particularly great in populations from northern latitudes.

"There is a clear north-south gradient in vitamin D production," Setlow says, "with people in the northern latitudes producing significantly less than people nearer the equator."

So, how can people get the benefits of vitamin D without running the risk of deadly skin cancer?

"As far as skin cancer goes, we need to be most worried about melanoma, a serious disease with significant mortality," Setlow says. Melanoma is triggered by UVA (the long UV wavelengths) and visible light. Vitamin-D production in the body, on the other hand, is triggered by UVB (the short UV wavelengths at the earth's surface). "So perhaps we should redesign sunscreens so they don't screen out as much UVB while still protecting us from the melanoma-inducing UVA and visible light."

read the full article from Brookhaven National Laboratory, "More sun exposure may be good for some people", Jan 7, 2008
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Osteoporosis- Not Just About Grandma

How too little exercise, sunshine and milk are hurting today's kids

Children today are breaking bones more than often than they did 40 years ago. Lots more. Girls have 56% more fractured arms, and the boys have 32% more. So, girls are playing more sports, you say, and boys take greater risks- such as skateboarding. But Dr. Heidi Kalkwarf of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital has determined that these kids have lower bone densities than kids who don't break bones.

With modern techniques, the medical community is learning what normal bone densities for kids should be. And most kids don't measure up.

Otherwise healthy children are not building as much strong bone as they should. The combination of calcium, Vitamin D, and exercise is required to build bone. And kids today are not getting enough of any of the three.

No one is sure yet what level of bone density in children could lead to great risk for osteoporosis later. But it is known that almost half of peak bone mass develops during the teen years. It is possible that a 10% deficit in bone mass as an adolescent could lead to a 50% greater risk of fractures after age 30. At about that age bone tissue naturally breaks down faster than it is rebuilt.

What do kids need?
Calcium:
Mom's advice to "Drink your milk" is still good. Young children need 800 mg daily, and between ages 9 and 18 kids need 1300 mg daily. Milk, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, and calcium fortified foods are good sources.

Vitamin D:
The body cannot process calcium without Vitamin D. Some milk and other foods are fortified with it, but the primary source is sunshine! Playing outside really is good for our children (and us too). The darker your skin, the longer exposure you require. Some children can process calcium on as little as 15 minutes of sunlight a week; this should be taken as an absolute minimum.

Exercise:
An hour a day of physical exercise should be the norm. Weight-bearing exercise builds strong bones. This can be anything from playing organized sports to jumping rope, or running around. Get those kids away from the video games for some part of the day.

Retro Evidence
A Canadian study has reported that postmenopausal women who exercised when they were teens still have 8% stronger bones than women who led quieter lives as adolescents.

Rickets on the Rise
The worst bone deficiency is known as Rickets. This disease was a scourge of the 19th century. Bones become so soft that the legs bow. Inner city children are especially at risk because they often do not have safe places outside to play. Children are now being diagnosed with this disease every month.

Surrounded by the resources to provide good health to our children, we may be sending them to old age with weaker bones than those of our grandparents.

read the AP News Article, by Lauran Neergaard
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