Today in Things That May Accelerate Cancer: Sunscreen

Just in time for summer, a new set of obsessive worries about something that could kill you: a study released today by the Environmental Working Group—a nonprofit that says it aims to “expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions”—suggests that “almost half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A or its derivatives,” according to AOL News. The E.W.G. has also accused the Food and Drug Administration of declining to make this information public, despite allegedly being aware of the possible dangers for 10 years. The F.D.A. has denied conducting tests about the effects of vitamin A. Earlier, the E.W.G. performed similar research and found that “42% of those [sunscreens] tested contained oxybenzone, a chemical shown in laboratory studies to release a reactive form of oxygen that can actually be skin-cancer contributing.” And back in 2008, the group proclaimed that “four out of five brand-name sunscreens either provide inadequate sun protection or contain chemicals that may be unsafe.” Sunscreen lobbyists strongly disagree.

If this is the sort of thing that concerns you, do visit the E.W.G.’s list of best sunscreens, although, according that very list, “the best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt.” But isn’t the very best sunscreen staying inside out of fear that going outdoors will kill you?