skin-care

It’s enough to drive parents crazy: “Slather your kids in sunscreen!” we are told. Yet, we are learning that the majority of popular sunscreens might NOT provide protection from the worst of the skin cancers and might actually increase our children’s chances of getting some cancers.

Summer is here in the northern hemisphere! Chicago had its first string of hot days – the lakefront path is crowded, kids are playing in the water and the air smells of sunscreen and B.B.Q’s.  With the sun shining down and the urge to take off all but my bottom layers, comes the inevitable question – Should I put on sunscreen today or not?

A few years ago I became super vigilant about looking at labels, scanning the ingredient list for some of the big offenders. I wanted to avoid parabens, synthetic fragrances, propylene glycol, dyes, 1-4 dioxane, petroleum based ingredients, and--most recently--nanoparticles.

I’d been pouring over labels for years and considered myself a savvy shopper, but the skincare aisle almost had me duped.  I’m one of those people: the kind that stands in the Whole Foods aisle obsessively scanning every label.   I am not appeased by claims of Natural! Kid Safe! or Hypoallergenic. What I’m looking for are the ingredients. The rest, as far as I am concerned, is just fancy PR. I want to know what I’m putting in and on my body.