Is your Sunscreen Causing Cancer?

It has finally been ingrained in our heads that we need to slather up with sunscreen before walking out the door. And while we depend on our trusty SPF to shield our delicate skin from the sun, EWG (Environmental Working Group) recently tested the safety of 1,606 sunscreens and found that 3 out of 5 offer "inadequate protection from the sun or actually contain toxic ingredients."

Despite improvements made by many companies making sunscreens, when EWG tested them in the lab, 42% of those tested contained oxybenzone, a chemical shown in laboratory studies to release a reactive form of oxygen that can actually be skin-cancer contributing (isn't SPF supposed to ward off skin cancer?) while wreaking havoc on the endocrine system--the regulator of hormones and glands with a focus on mood, metabolism, and sexual function. The scary fact is that of the sunscreens tested, only 5% met EWG's safety and efficacy standards.