Some sunscreen is linked to increased estrogen levels

Hi
sorry I didn't post this sooner. In the May 15 Kenosha News there was an article that I will type out below, but basically what it says that some sunscreens have ingredients to act like estrogen and that young children may be vulnerable to hormonal disruption from such sunscreens. They suggest using clothng or sunscreen that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide don't have hormonal effects and are safe for young children. Now what the **** are they doing putting compounds in sunscreen that act like estrogen! Like there is not enough to worry about now there is this. I purchased Coppertone and am taking it back to the store and getting Banana boat. Oh well here's the article-

Several common ingredients in sunscreen have been shown to act like estrogen. One test tube study showed that breast cancer cells grew faster in the presence of such compounds. Another study showed that sunscreen ingredients are absorbed through teh skin and can be measured in the urine(Journal of Investigative Dermatology, July 2004). The significance of this finding for adults remains controversial, but the authors warn that young children may be vulnerable to hormonal disruption from such sunscreens. Until this issue has been resolved, it might be prudent to stick with protective clothing(www.sundayafternoons.com or www.coolibar.com) Sunscreens that contain physical blockers such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide don't have hormonal effects and are safe for young children and people with sensitive skin(The Lancet online, May 3, 2007).

 

Thanks for the article. I had read about only using physical barrier sunscreens from another article that discusses how babies and toddlers have too small of a skin vs. absortion threshold, that's why I only use California Baby sunscreen.

 

Here is the original article - Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2004): Systemic Absorption of the Sunscreens Benzophenone-3, Octyl-Methoxycinnamate, and 3-(4-Methyl-Benzylidene) Camphor After Whole-Body Topical Application and Reproductive Hormone Levels in Humans.

The study was performed on young men and postmenopausal women. The authors found that,QUOTE
In the present human study, we have demonstrated for the first time that the sunscreen compounds BP-3, OMC, and 4-MBC were absorbed through the skin and excreted in urine".... but, "We observed no biologically significant effects on hormone levels indicating that the amount of sunscreen compounds absorbed were not capable of disturbing the homeostasis of endogenous reproductive hormones in adults.
Basically, some of the sunscreen ingredients were absorbed, but they didn't affect/increase general hormone levels.

They did say,QUOTE
Prepubertal children, however, are considered to be more sensitive to low levels of hormone action due to their low levels of endogenous reproductive hormones. Young children have less developed elimination of drugs and larger surface area per body weight than adults leading to a possible higher uptake and bio-accumulation. Thus, our results cannot exclude that a sunscreen treatment similar to the treatment given in this study might have adverse effects in children.
Children may be more sensitive to hormone action, so the results may not be the same as in adults. More data is necessary to form a conclusion on this.

While I agree it's prudent to check sunscreen ingredients and avoid some chemicals until there is more data on this, I don't think parents should be overly worried or concerned about the sunscreen their children have already used.

 

Many children's sunscreens contain peanuts which can be problematic for children with peanut allergies. Kendra was telling us about a sibling of one of her daycare kids that ended up in the hospital because he got some sunscreen on him that contained peanut. Avon, Aveeno and Coppertone Kids are "safe" for him.

 

Here's another article discussing sunscreen (and referencing The Lancet online, May 3, 2007, mentioned by the OP): Less Sun a Better Bet Than Sunscreens. This one doesn't address any concerns by the OP about estrogen, but simply points out that sunscreens may not be as protective against the serious skin cancers as one would think. QUOTE
Lautenschlager's group warned that while studies have found that sunscreens protect against acute UV skin damage and nonmelanoma skin cancers, it's not clear whether they help protect against melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
QUOTE
"Wearing sun-protective clothes and a hat and reducing sun exposure to a minimum should be preferred to sunscreens," Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager, of the Outpatient Clinic of Dermatology at Triemli Hospital in Zurich, wrote in the May 3 online edition of The Lancet.