Here's a list of pure and mixed sunblock products first - One pure one available at CVS - see links I've found to a few helpful articles that lay out the debate.
Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen SPF 30+
SKU #334057
(Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide (10%), Titanium Dioxide (5%).)
CVS/pharmacy
CVS Sunblock With Zinc Oxide Spf 45+
(Ingredients - mixture - sunscreen and sunblock
| Octinoxate 7.5%; Octocrylene 8.0%; Zinc Oxide 6.86%) |
- Blue Lizard Australian Suncream SPF 30 Baby - a pure sunblock with both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
- Neutrogena Sunblock Lotion Sensitive Skin SPF 30 - a pure sunblock with just titanium dioxide
Sunscreen with Sunblock
Many more products are available which combine a sunscreen with a sunblock to help get broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, including:- Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 45 - a good sunscreen, plus has both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
- Banana Boat Baby Tear Free UVA & UVB Sunblock Lotion SPF 50 - a sunscreen with the sunblock titanium dioxide
- Banana Boat Sport Ultra Sweatproof UVA & UVB Sunblock Lotion SPF 30 - a sunscreen with the sunblock titanium dioxide
- Blue Lizard Australian Suncream SPF 30+ Face - a sunscreen with zinc oxide
- Blue Lizard Australian Suncream SPF 30+ Regular - a sunscreen with zinc oxide
- Blue Lizard Australian Suncream SPF 30+ Sport - a sunscreen with zinc oxide
- Bull Frog SuperBlock Sunblock Lotion with SPF 45 - a sunscreen with the sunblock titanium dioxide
- Coppertone Kids Spectra 3 SPF 50 Sunblock Lotion - a sunscreen with zinc oxide
- Coppertone Water Babies SPECTRA3 Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 - a sunscreen with zinc oxide
- Hawaiian Tropic 45 Plus Sunblock - a sunscreen with the sunblock titanium dioxide
Sunburn Prevention: Are Sunscreens Safe?
by Jane Sheppard
It seems to lay out the debate well - here's an excerpt:
Many popular sunscreens contain the chemical ingredient Benzophenone (or its derivatives Benzophenone-3 or Oxybenzone) since it is one of the best of the chemical sunscreens in protecting against both UVA and UVB rays. However, sunscreens containing these chemicals are NOT a good choice. Here is an instance in which the protection may create more harm than good and actually cause the disease it's trying to prevent. Benzophenone is a powerful free radical generator activated by ultraviolet light. These free radicals could initiate a reaction that may ultimately led to melanoma and other skin cancers.Studies show that some of the chemicals in sunscreens are absorbed into the bloodstream in significant amounts. The longer sunscreen chemicals are left on the skin, the greater the absorption into the body. One study notes "it would be prudent not to apply oxybenzone to large surface areas of skin for extended and repeated periods of time, unless no alternative protection is available. There may be an additional concern for young children who have less well-developed processes of elimination, and have a larger surface area per body weight than adults."Many sunscreen products contain triethanolamine (TEA). This ingredient may combine with nitrite (used as a preservative or may be present as an environmental contaminant) to cause formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines. Nitrites are not disclosed on cosmetic labels so there's no way of telling which products are contaminated with nitrosamines. Particularly disturbing is that up to 35 percent of TEA applied to the skin can enter the bloodstream.Physical barrier-type sunscreens such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are assumed to be safer products. However, research now shows that though titanium dioxide sunscreens are safer than products containing chemicals such as benzophenone, they are not something we should be putting on our children's bodies on a regular basis. Titanium dioxide has the ability to cause DNA damage in human cells and there is concern that it may be carcinogenic.Zinc oxide is a mineral that provides complete UVB/UVA protection, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is considered a safe sunscreen ingredient. Zinc oxide is the only FDA approved sunscreen for use on children under 6 months of age. However, the regular form of zinc oxide leaves a strong white residue on the skin. To create a clear skin product rather than one that leaves a white residue, zinc oxide is now made in the form of nano-size particles. There is growing concern about the toxicity of nanoparticles, which has initiated a world-wide effort to study the skin absorption and phototoxicity of nanoparticles of preparations used in sunscreens and cosmetics. At this time, the safety of nanoparticles has not been proven, so caution is prudent, especially when using these products on children.
This is the CDC study that has led to some of the debate:
A non-profit called the Environmental Working Group has led the charge -
The bodies of nearly all Americans are contaminated with a sunscreen chemical that has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). A companion study from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine found that the same chemical is linked to low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy.The chemical, oxybenzone, is widely used in sunscreens. Environmental Working Group's (EWG) analysis of ingredient labels found that nearly 600 sunscreens sold in the U.S. contain oxybenzone, including products by Hawaiian Tropic, Coppertone, and Banana Boat. Although oxybenzone is most common in sunscreen, companies also use the toxic chemical in at least 567 other personal care products, including lip balm, lipstick, moisturizers and fragrance for women.Oxybenzone was last reviewed for safety in the 1970’s but since then significant new evidence has been published on its toxicity and pervasive exposure. A recent review by the European Union found insufficient data to determine whether oxybenzone in sunscreen is safe for consumers
