New Dangers: Anti Aging Creams, Sunscreens, LipGloss

There's no question that regular use of sunscreen will reduce your risk of skin cancer. And there's good evidence that at least some anti aging creams will help your skin look younger.

But now disturbing new evidence is mounting that one ingredient commonly use in both – the chemical oxybenzone – may, in and of itself be a health risk – not to mention prematurely aging your skin.

At the heart of the matter: Evidence that oxybenzone penetrates the skin, and when it does it increases the production of free radicals – byproducts of cellular activity that can cause cell changes linked to cancer. Indeed, one of the links between sun exposure and skin cancer is an increased production of free radicals. Free radicals are also one of the leading causes of premature aging of the skin.

In Europe, concerns brought to light by a number of studies led to a labeling law requiring products containing more than 5% oxybenzone must be labeled as such.

There are no such labeling requirements in the United States.

According to the Environmental Working Group there some 588 sunscreen products alone available in the United States containing oxybenzone including popular brands such as Hawaiian Tropical, Coopertone and Banana Boat. Many anti aging creams, as well as lip glosses and balms, as well as some facial moisturizers also contain this chemical.

Certainly it's not a good idea to stop using sunscreen - and please don't take away my antiaging creams! But do read labels and look for those products which contain minimal or no oxybenzone. In terms of lip glosses and moisturizers, it's easy to avoid this ingredient altogether.