Australians have been told for years to "Slip, Slop, Slap" and applying sunscreen before going outside is now a daily ritual for many. Australia has the unenviable statistic of having the highest skin cancer rate in the world, and we are four times more likely to develop a skin cancer over any other form of cancer.
Traditional sunscreens have used zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as ingredients. These work by reflecting and scattering ultra violet radiation, however they leave a white residue on the skin. Sunscreen manufacturers have found that they can avoid this and produce a clear product by grinding the particles down until they are less than 10 microns small. These tiny pieces are called nano particles, and are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair.
Concerns have been raised over the safety of these nano particles when used in sunscreen.
In 2008 advanced deterioration in small patches of Colourbond roofing was traced by BlueScope Steel to the titanium dioxide nano particles in the sunscreen worn by some builders. Opponents of nano particle sunscreens say that not enough studies have been carried out to be certain that they are safe. They're concerned that nano particles are so small that they can penetrate the skin and damage cell function. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) however refute this. In a 2009 update of an earlier literature review on the subject, they concluded that nano particles remain on the skin's surface. In a counter argument, Friends of the Earth Australia (FoEA) say that studies conducted after the 2009 TGA review show that nano particles do penetrate the skin especially if it is repeatedly flexed (as when exercising) or if exposed to "penetration enhancers" which are found in some cosmetics.
In Europe and New Zealand legislation will soon make it mandatory for manufacturers to identify nano material in their products. In Australia however the TGA's stance is that no such identification is necessary. Since 2008 Friends of the Earth Australia have produced a "Safe Sunscreen Guide" to give Australian consumers, wary of the apparent dangers of nano particle sunscreens, guidance in their choice of product.
In 2012 FoEA submitted a complaint to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission against Perth-based sunscreen manufacturer, Antaria. They alleged that the company's product, ZinClear-IM, used in many popular sunscreens, was being marketed as a non-nano particle product when according to the company's own patents, it clearly wasn't.
FoEA alleged that brands supplied by Antaria were listed in the guide as being non-nano "on the basis of signed statements from the sunscreen brands, and in most cases with supplementary certificates of analysis provided by Antaria to support non-nano claims". FoEA's estimates for costs incurred in producing and then subsequently recalling the guide amounted to around $73,000. They alleged that Antaria was in violation of the Competition and Consumer Act (2010) and had misled the public, customers, shareholders and the Australian stock market by engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct.
Genetically modified foods and fluoride in drinking water are health concerns for many people, now sunscreen has been added to the list. Wouldn't it be tragic if a product that is supposed to prevent us from dying, kills us?
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