The new Sunscreen controversy
Bottom Line: While the debate wages in Tallahassee about whether Florida will ban the ban of sunscreen by local governments...there’s a new wrinkle that has nothing to do with the fact that it’s scientifically impossible for enough sunscreen to be used by sunbathers to harm coral reefs in the keys (couldn’t resist interjecting facts into the conversation, since the Key West ban was passed without them). It turns out that the most effective sunscreens, the ones that don’t easily wash off in the water, enter your bloodstream when absorbed. This according to a new study in published in the medical journal JAMA.
What’s that mean? No clue, and the scientists don’t either yet. Only that it happens. A follow up study is needed to figure out what happens once it gets there. This study was to study the effects of various sunscreens on your skin during use. So, as it turns out the sunscreens considered the most environmentally friendly and effective for your skin, might be providing UV protection for your cardiovascular system too. Hopefully that’s not going to turn out to be too bad of a thing, but it doesn’t exactly sound great either.
If you’re the type to lather it on near daily, might give you additional food for thought about what kind you’re using.