Ah spring- out in the garden vigorously digging and planting, happily weeding and mulching. Despite wrestling with an eruption of mutant onion grass nothing short of epidemic I feel great. My muscles ache with a good kind of sore that signals hard work, but not too hard. And the garden is beautiful. Bursting with the buds of new life- the promise of beauty to come...But I said this was going to be about Neutrogena sunscreen didn't I?
The back story- I try to follow the guidelines- only work outside until 10:00 AM, stay out of the sun until after 4:00 PM. I cover up- wear the big ridiculous hat. But sometimes the overwhelming power of warm sun and cool breeze, the pleasure of hard uncomplicated physical labor and gardening's instant gratification mesmerize me and I stay out too long. In years past I'd just slather on layer after layer of sunscreen and feel confident I was being smart and proactive. A no-brainer, right?Not exactly. I just read Skin Deep's expose' and learned how little anyone actually knows about the efficacy and the safety of sunscreen. The incongruities are shocking. From questions about its ability to adequately protect against UV rays to the inclusion of downright dangerous ingredients- it's all bad news. You want an example? Okay, how about the vitamin A used in sunscreen has been linked to skin tumors? (NIH Panel press release January 2011)
more after the jump...
