Human Skin Information Portal For Professionals

Gold fever

Kate Middleton and her crowning glory. Photo: Getty

Gold is no longer just a sign of luxury; it's the buzz ingredient for beauty. Gold's anti-inflammatory properties decrease skin inflammation which, in turn, slows down melanin secretion and reduces ageing spots.

And let's face it, gold is pretty, so I was keen to try a gold facial developed by French beauty brand Carita. The treatment is offered at the day spas at both Melbourne's Crown Casino and Sydney's Observatory Hotel.

Rebecca Barlow, a therapist at the Observatory Hotel who invited me to try their $300 facial, says Carita uses 24-carat gold in the serum, which is very strengthening for skin. "Gold is an amazing product," she says, "great for highly sensitive skin and broken capillaries. It gives great luminosity to the skin."

She used Carita's Pro-Lift machine, which is like a small vibrator that does a deep cleanse and infuses the gold serum into your skin, before a light electrical current contracts the muscle. It doesn't hurt; there's just a bit of tingling, and if you have mercury fillings in your teeth, you get a metallic taste in your mouth. I kept asking her to turn up the current.

She did half my face and then handed me a mirror. I looked as if I'd had a stroke! One side was tight and plump and the other side had a distinct sag. I couldn't lie down quickly enough for her to even me up.

She finished off with the Carita Progressif Perfect Gold Global Anti-aging Luminous Elixir ($650, pictured below), then eye cream and moisturiser. I nearly fainted when I learnt how much it cost - but the results were awesome.

My gold fever continued when I went to The Blonde Room in Sydney's Woollahra for a $320 "gold" blow-dry. Hairdresser George Giavis is the first in Australia to offer Fuente hair products, which are used by Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.

It's not just a blow-dry. For those big bucks you get to keep the shampoo and conditioner from Fuente's luxury Truffle range, which has ingredients such as diamond dust and white truffle, so Giavis effectively throws in the blow-dry for free. It's meant to give your tresses a golden sheen.

My hair was washed and it felt super soft even before they applied the conditioner.

But after the blow-dry I didn't get the golden sheen I was expecting. Sure, it looked nice but my expectations were royal. Maybe the shiny golden goodness comes only if you consistently use the products at home. And let's face it, only a duchess can afford that.

From SundayLife.

Article source: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/gold-fever-20120518-1yuqo.html

Makers of Prohibition-era film skin `failed’ drug ban

Rocker Nick Cave and director John Hillcoat took a swipe at the "failed" war on drugs as they made the presentation in Cannes of Lawless - their Prohibition-era rural gangster movie.

"Prohibition still exists today. It still fails epically, with the so-called war on drugs," screenwriter Cave said after a press screening that saw the work by his fellow Australian get a restrained clap.

Lawless features Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf and Guy Pearce with Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain as the love interests in a violent slice of hillbilly moonshine myth-making based on a true story from the 1930s United States when alcohol was banned.

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Hillcoat said he sees many parallels to today "with the economic crisis, the political crisis, the war on drugs."

He had initially made a montage to start the film that showed modern-day Mexican drug cartels, before moving back "through the 80s and the Cubans and cocaine and heroin in New York, and went way back and landed on Prohibition."

Hillcoat said: "That was the birth of serious organized crime and it's been going ever since. So it feeds into all of those things that are going on today," adding that he later decided not to include the montage.

Cave, a former heroin addict, said "this disastrous war on drugs is an absolutely unbelievable waste of money. Seven percent of criminals in jail are on drug-related offenses.

"It just seems to me that prohibition still exists today and it still doesn't work."

Cave believes the solution is to "legalize all drugs and let all those people out of prison and I would spend the money in a more judicious way."

Asked if he meant hard drugs like cocaine and heroin should be made legal, he replied: "The whole lot, yeah. There is a major problem and it's not being dealt with at all."

Based on Matt Bondurant's The Wettest County in the World, Lawless is one of 22 films in the running for the Palme d'Or top prize at Cannes to be handed out on Sunday night.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Article source: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=7&art_id=122578&sid=36460243&con_type=1&d_str=20120521&fc=10

Your Business: Pioneer sold on skin care range right from start

They say travel broadens the mind. Jane Bourke, a former beauty salon owner, and an early pioneer of the professional beauty industry in New Zealand, was at a trade show in America in 1992 when she was introduced to the Dermalogica skin care brand.

"It was the first skin care product that I had ever seen where they had taken away the lanolin, the [SD] alcohol, the mineral oil, the fragrances," she says.

Dermalogica, which was created in 1986 by Jane and Ray Wurwand, claims to have revolutionised the skin care industry when it emerged in the market with formulations which excluded a lot of common irritants.

Bourke was impressed that the LA company put a high priority on the education of customers, selling through professional skincare therapists. Dermalogica is the world's most-requested professional skin care brand, she says.

"I've watched Dermalogica grow from a seedling company to a massive organisation worldwide." When the businesswoman launched Dermalogica NZ in 1993, she was one of a handful of the brand's international distributors in the world.

The skin care range is now distributed in 90 countries worldwide, sells in 25,000 skin care centres and is used by 75,000 therapists. Its best selling products include Dermalogica Daily Micro Foliant and the Age smart product range.

The Dermalogica range has a cult following, says Bourke.

International devotees include Courtney Cox and Victoria Beckham. In New Zealand, Shortland Street actresses Fleur Saville and Angela Bloomfield are fans. It is a favourite for removing make-up.

In 2007, Bourke took a step back from the business and at the same time her daughter, Natasha Gee, was given a leadership role in the company. Gee, who has beauty therapy training and a marketing communications degree, worked for Dermalogica in the UK on a graduate/management fast track programme. She opened a flagship store for Dermalogica in London in 2006 and then did the same for her mother's business in Auckland at the Albany Westfield centre in 2007.

Today Dermalogica is stocked in more than 135 skin care centres in NZ, and stockists include Louise Gray in Auckland and Essence Beauty Therapy in Wellington. Its pricing is similar to other prestige retail skin care brands such as Clinique and Elizabeth Arden.

"We treat specific skins, hyper-pigmentation, ageing, acne, sensitivity, teens, men, it's a very big range," says Gee.

The company's turnover in New Zealand is in the millions.

"With Dermalogica, we only have one brand, we don't have a Plan B, we don't have another brand to fall back on," she says.

"Business has been a challenge the last couple of years," adds Gee.

Most skin care companies are marketing their products for their natural properties these days. In response, Dermalogica NZ, based in Albany, has branched out to nine retail locations. It now has counters in four department stores: Smith Caughey City, Kirkcaldie Stains, Ballantynes in Christchurch and H J Smith in Invercargill. The brand is also sold in five Life Pharmacy outlets.

The Albany flagship store closed in February and Dermalogica is now sold at the Life Pharmacy store at Albany.

Dermalogica NZ has also been selling online since 2009, in partnership with the company's stockists.

"We always try to refer the customer back to the stockist for treatment and advice," says Gee. Bourke's role these days is mentoring her daughter and giving strategic advice on the business. She and her husband Brendan own the company 50/50 and a performance-based succession plan is in place to transfer shares to Gee over the next 10 years.

By Gill South | Email Gill

Article source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10807152

Sexy Charlize Theron’s skin-tight leather dress can’t save Snow White’s …

By
Cassie Carpenter

PUBLISHED:

11:12 EST, 20 May 2012

|

UPDATED:

12:52 EST, 20 May 2012

She's been tearing through a whirlwind promotional tour for her new film Snow White and the Huntsman, one sexy dress at a time.

But even Charlize Theron's skin-tight leather dress couldn't save the fairy tale's lacklustre Japanese premiere today, where reportedly no fans were spotted.

When a Japanese reporter asked the 36-year-old Oscar winner to turn around on the red carpet so he could get a better shot of her edgy, long-sleeved LBD, Charlize responded with a curt, 'That's not very nice.'

Scroll down for trailer

Luscious in leather: Charlize Theron and her Snow White director Rupert Sanders had a tough time at the film's lackluster premiere in Japan today, where reportedly no fans were spotted

Perhaps it was just the language barrier, but even Snow White's director Rupert Sanders uttered a sarcastic 'Unbelievable' when asked what he thought of the Japan premiere.

Leather lady: The 36-year-old Oscar winner looked sexy in her long-sleeved LBD today in Japan

After being quickly whisked away from the media, Charlize and Rupert were clearly unhappy as they made a dramatic entrance onstage through smoke, after which the statuesque blonde sarcastically said, 'Boy do you guys know how to give us a greeting.'

With her striking red lips and fierce gladiator heels, Charlize looked as powerful as her evil stepmother character, Queen Ravenna, and she has remarked that she's currently experiencing 'the bitch period' of her successful career onscreen.

The busy actress will next be seen as the cold corporate figurehead Meredith Vickers in Ridley Scott's highly anticipated sci-fi film Prometheus.

We're sure to see the Monster star in a lot more leather when she takes on her post-apocalyptic warrior character, Furiosa, in the on-again/off-again Mad Max: Fury Road starring Tom Hardy.

Rupert, an award-winning commercial director making his first feature, wore a black suit with white shirt, silver tie, and brown suede Oxfords.

The 5'10" star told Australian magazine Madison that she never planned on becoming a single mother.

The Road star -- whose baby Jackson was born in her native South Africa in March -- had always thought about adopting but never contemplated doing it without a man in her life.

'You know, I don't think any mother aims to be a single mom. I didn't wish for that, but it happened,' Charlize revealed.

'I always knew I would adopt. Always.'

The start has always been open about her desire to adopt, saying in 2011: 'I'm open to everything in life. I want a baby. If it would happen tomorrow I would be very happy.'

Charlize split from her partner boyfriend of nine years, Stuart Townsend, in 2010.

But the South African beauty won't be getting hitched any time soon as she thinks marriage is nothing more than a ceremony.

She said: 'It has never been that important to me. I don't know why exactly. Some might say it's because my parents didn't have a good marriage, but I don't think so. I treat my relationships like marriages. The ceremony isn't that important to me.'

Warrior woman: We're sure to see the Monster star in a lot more leather when she takes on her next role as Furiosa in the post-apocalyptic Mad Max: Fury Road starring Tom Hardy

Dramatic entrance: Charlize and Rupert were clearly unhappy as they walked through smoke onstage, after which the statuesque blonde sarcastically uttered, 'Boy do you guys know how to give us a greeting'

Next year she'll star in Two Eyes Staring, a horror tale centered on the friendship between a young girl and the ghost of her mother's twin.

The Young Adult star also plans on reprising her Mary Embrey role in Will Smith's Hancock 2.

Meanwhile in Mexico City, Charlize's costars Kristen Stewart and Sam Claflin attended a photocall yesterday.

The globe-trotting cast have flown to Madrid and Berlin this week following the world premiere in London on Monday.

Snow White and the Huntsman is set to be released in the UK on May 30.

Single mom: The proud mother was seen carrying adopted baby Jackson in Madrid, Spain last week

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That is one stunning woman

- serina, somewhere in the UK, 20/5/2012 19:37

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She is so beautiful and very classy!

- Karih, Belgium, 20/5/2012 19:32

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Ukk..horrible dress...horrible person.

- Julia, London, 20/5/2012 18:20

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Article source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2147128/Sexy-Charlize-Therons-skin-tight-leather-dress-save-Snow-Whites-lackluster-Japanese-premiere.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

New technologies help Atlanta doctors treat skin cancer

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Article source: http://www.examiner.com/article/new-technologies-help-atlanta-doctors-treat-skin-cancer

Protect skin with sunscreen, but use lightly

It's good to apply sunscreen before you step out of home in the scorching sun. But don't use it too frequently or in large dabs, say experts after a recent research indicated that sunscreen use can increase the risk of skin cancer.

"Sunscreen has its after-effects as the cream has harsh chemicals that can affect the body if not applied properly," Bangalore-based dermatologist Parveen Khurana told us.

"Zinc oxide, the must-have ingredient in sunscreens, can have harmful effects on the body if used frequently. Most girls today apply sunscreen every time they walk out from shade. This is a major concern," added Khurana.

According to research carried out at Missouri University of Science and Technology, one of the world's leading technological research universities, some compounds found in sunscreen can increase the rate of skin cancer if exposed to light.

"It is true that overexposure to sunlight without sunscreen can cause sunburns, discolouration and irritation. But we should not forget the fact that body also needs vitamin D for strengthening of bones," said skin expert Krishna Kumar.

"So apart from skin cancer, sunscreens can also reduce vitamin D production by as much as 97.5 to 99.9 percent. And interfering with your body's production of vitamin D may have dire health consequences," added Kumar.

Though many fear sun exposure, Kumar says it is important to spend some time in the sun sans sunscreen.

"Regular sun exposure can be harmful, but one can try sporadic sun exposure as getting into direct contact of sun also decreases the risk of melanoma (a more deadly form of skin cancer). So safe sun exposure, without any litmus shield like sunscreen, can help in getting away from skin cancer as well," he added.

So use sunscreen, but in a proper way, advise doctors.

Several beauty brands have recently launched different sunscreen-based creams with higher SPF (sun protection factor) count.

But according to Mumbai-based dermatologist Swati Srivastava, who works at wellness chain VLCC, there's hardly any difference in a sunscreen with an SPF count of 15 or 50.

"For Indian skin, any sunscreen containing SPF 15 and above is preferred. The difference between SPF 15 and 50 is minimal. Sunscreens with higher SPF ratings block slightly more UVB rays, but none offers 100 percent protection," she said.

So how to pick the best sunscreen?

"For dry skin, it is always advisable to use cream-based sunscreen. While in the case of oily skin, oil-free sunscreen lotion is preferred. For the people who live in the tropical areas, SPF 50 is recommended for outdoor use," said Chytra V. Anand, cosmetologist, Kosmoderma Skin and Laser Clinic, Bangalore.

There's no right age to apply sunscreen.

"There is no particular age group to apply SPF. In fact even kids are being recommended to use sunscreen to avoid sun damage at an early stage. Studies have shown that 90 per cent of ageing is caused by sun damage. So sunscreen is the best anti-ageing cream.

"However, kids can use sunscreens with SPF 15-20 to avoid damage," added Anand.

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/beauty/Protect-skin-with-sunscreen-but-use-lightly/articleshow/13313872.cms

May is Melanoma Skin Cancer Awareness Month

As a registered nurse and the former ranking member of the New York State Assembly Health Committee, I would like to share with you some important information about skin cancer from the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute. Skin cancer has become the most common form of cancer affecting more than 1 million Americans each year. Most of the time, skin cancer is caused by too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, and the risk can be reduced by taking simple protective measures.

Types of Skin Cancer

There are two main types of skin cancer – non-melanomas and melanomas. Non-melanomas are the most common type and include squamous cell and basal cell cancers. Non-melanomas rarely spread to other parts of the body, but they can cause scarring.

Melanoma is much more serious than non-melanoma cancers. While typically curable in its early stages, it is much more likely to spread to other parts of your body than non-melanomas.

Melanomas may be detected with the “ABCD rule”:

• Asymmetry: One half of a spot, mole or birthmark does not match the other half.
• Border: The edges are irregular, ragged, notched or blurred.
• Color: The color is not the same all over or has an irregular pattern and may include shades of brown or black, or patches of red, pink, white or blue.
• Diameter: Typical moles are usually less than 1/4 inch across (the size of a pencil eraser). Melanomas can be smaller but are often larger than 1/4 inch.

Some melanomas do not fit these “rules” so it is important to consult your doctor about anything you are unsure of.

How to Protect Yourself 

Limit sun exposure: UV rays are most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you don't know how strong the sun is, you can do a “shadow test.” If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun's rays are strongest.

Remember that UV rays pass through water, too. Sand and snow increase your UV exposure because they reflect sunlight.

Cover up: Long-sleeved shirts, pants and long skirts provide the most protection, and darker colors block more UV rays than light. Choose fabric with a tighter weave for more protection. If you can see light through a fabric, it probably won't block UV rays.

Don’t forget your hat: The best hat is one with a 2 or 3-inch brim all around. This protects sensitive facial areas.

Sunscreen: Look for a product with 15 or higher sun protection factor (SPF) and apply it regularly.

The higher the number, the better you are protected. “Broad spectrum” sunscreens protect against UVA and UVB rays. Waterproof sunscreens are usually effective for about 80 minutes, even if you are swimming or sweating.

Water resistant sunscreens will protect you for about 40 minutes on average. Read the instructions before applying any product. Generally, you should apply sunscreen about 30 minutes before you go outside. About a palmful typically can cover the arms, legs, neck and face of an average adult. Reapply every 2 hours - more if you are swimming or sweating. Use sunscreen lip balm as well.

Wear UV-blocking sunglasses: Sunglasses should block 99-100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation.

Those that say “special purpose” or “meets ANSI UV requirements” block at least 99 percent. Cosmetic lenses generally block 70 percent.

Avoid tanning booths and sunlamps: Both of these kinds of devices give off UVA and UVB rays and put you at risk for skin cancer.

Maureen O’Connell is the Nassau County Clerk. She was first elected in 2005 as a Republican.

Article source: http://newhydepark.patch.com/articles/may-is-melanoma-skin-cancer-awareness-month

More than skin deep

Enlarge Image

Alec T. PhotographyDefence Minister Peter MacKay married Nazanin Afshin-Jam in Mexico in January. (POSTMEDIA)

Enlarge Image

Wayne Cuddington / Postmedia NewsNazanin Afshin-Jam came to the aid of another woman named Nazanin who was sentenced to death for killing a man who tried to rape her. (POSTMEDIA OTTAWA CITIZEN)

OTTAWA -- Iranian-born Nazanin Afshin-Jam is a former Miss World Canada, a charismatic human-rights crusader and now an author.

That's not all. She has also been a singer and a model. And if all else fails, this 33-year-old has a good trade to fall back on: a former air cadet with the rank of warrant officer, first class, Afshin-Jam has her pilot's licence, which could come in handy if her husband, Defence Minister Peter MacKay, ever needs another quick exit from, say, Labrador.

One is initially struck by Afshin-Jam's beauty, the kind of beauty that makes men weak in the knees and causes passersby to stop and stare in awe. But this is also beauty laced with strong opinions and definitive actions aimed at making the world a better place.

Some of those opinions will be aired publicly May 31 when, courtesy of the Ottawa International Writers Festival, Afshin-Jam delivers a talk about her new book The Tale of Two Nazanins: A Teenager on Death Row in Iran and the Canadian Who Vowed to Save Her.

Afshin-Jam says being married to the man previously considered Parliament Hill's most eligible bachelor will not stop her from speaking out on international human-rights issues, even if she has to criticize Canadian government policy.

"I will speak my mind if I think there is something that I don't agree with, that is against government policy," Afshin-Jam, founder of the agency Stop Child Executions, said in a recent interview.

"That's the beauty of living in Canada, living under a democratic system and having freedom of expression. I'll never go back to a country that suppresses rights. So, if by entering a marriage, that would silence me, that would totally go against all my principles."

Afshin-Jam says she met MacKay through her work with international human-rights organizations and the minister was supportive of her causes even before their secretive January wedding in Mexico.

"He never said to me, 'Now we're married, you can't say certain things or you have to toe our party line.' Absolutely not. I've said to him from the beginning I have certain opinions and differences."

Afshin-Jam especially has opinions about totalitarian regimes that put children on death row. Those opinions are expressed forcefully in her new book.

Through alternating chapters, the book tells the life story of Afshin-Jam, who came to Canada at two with her family from Iran, via Spain, and the story of Nazanin Fatehi, a poor Iranian teenager sentenced to death for having fatally stabbed a man who, along with some accomplices, was trying to rape her and her young niece Somayeh.

The book opens with the Nazanin in Canada receiving an email from a stranger only identified as Vincent asking her to help the woman with the same first name. The Iranian Nazanin had already been imprisoned for a year, had tried to commit suicide a number of times and was sentenced to hang.

Vincent had been researching the Iranian Nazanin online and unintentionally kept landing on websites about the Canadian Nazanin. The Canadian one was a high-profile human-rights advocate. Maybe she could help. And help she did.

"Fate and Google" brought the two Nazanins together, Afshin-Jam says.

After receiving Vincent's email, the Canadian Nazanin started to mine her contacts at home and abroad in the human-rights community to put pressure on the Iranian government to give the young woman a new trial.

An Iranian lawyer agreed to help but demanded a retainer. That bill was paid by Belinda Stronach, a millionaire MP who had ditched the Conservatives and her sweetheart, Peter MacKay, to become a Liberal cabinet minister in the Paul Martin government.

Stronach's name appears, very favourably, a few times in The Two Nazanins. While the young Iranian was eventually acquitted of murder, she is still obliged to pay a fine of about $45,000 to the family of the man she stabbed. Fundraising in Canada began. Stronach kicked in the last $10,000.

After a two-year ordeal, the Iranian Nazanin was released from prison Jan. 31, 2007, and returned to her family. After a few years, she vanished, but not before pouring out her life story in several taped telephone calls.

"We're very worried about her," says Afshin-Jam.

Afshin-Jam learned many lessons from her experience in mobilizing support, right up to the United Nations, to free Nazanin from jail. Those lessons are being used again and again in her campaigns to free children on death row. Sometimes that freedom comes amid a blaze of international publicity; sometimes quiet behind-the-scenes lobbying is more productive. When Afshin-Jam wrote her book, there were 160 such children in Iran alone awaiting capital punishment.

"I don't want people to leave the book thinking you have to be a Miss Canada, a sports star or a celebrity to be able to make change," she says emphatically.

"But what I did learn in the Nazanin Fatehi campaign is that certain things can help garner media attention. In my case, they were curious about, 'Oh, Miss Canada trying to help somebody.' It just plays to cliché."

Yes, being a beauty queen helped get attention initially to aid Nazanin Fatehi, Afshin-Jam says.

But anyone with "passion" and an ability to work hard can move mountains, she suggests.

-- Postmedia News

Article source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/more-than-skin-deep-152193025.html

How to save your skin from the sun

While not historically accurate, Conner Prairie will offer free sunscreen to encourage visitors to protect themselves against the sun's dangerous rays.

A few other outdoor attractions -- such as Holiday World -- offer sunscreen. But if you're headed to the zoo, the State Fair or most other outdoor spots, you'll need your own sunscreen.

Whatever the case, choose something, doctors agree, because sun exposure increases your risk of skin cancer.

"It's carcinogenic, on the same level of tobacco, and we should be treating it the same way," said Dr. Keeter Sechrist, a dermatologist with Central Indiana's Dermatology Inc.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to protect your family. Cheaper doesn't mean less likely to work, Sechrist said.

Top tips

Dermatologists offer a few sunscreen tips:

Make sure it has an SPF (sun protective factor) of 30 or higher.

Doctors recommend putting on 1 to 2 ounces, depending on how much skin is bare. Two ounces of a lotion equals 1/4 cup.

Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours.

Apply it about 30 minutes before going outside.

Buy "broad-spectrum" sunscreens.

New rules on hold

The Food and Drug Administration had planned to make choosing sunscreen easier by enacting new label requirements in June. Last week, though, the government gave manufacturers another six months to comply.

Under the new rules, sunscreens that guard only against UVB (ultraviolet B) radiation, which causes sunburn, can no longer claim they provide broad-spectrum relief. To do so, they must protect against UVA radiation, which can lead to skin damage and cancer.

The new regulations prohibit sunscreens from claiming they are waterproof. Instead they will say "water-resistant" and advise to reapply after 40 or 80 minutes in the water.

What SPF means

Most people think SPF means how long you can stay in the sun without risk of sun damage.

Rather, it applies only to burn prevention, said Dr. Lawrence Mark, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Consider how long it would take a person standing unprotected in the mid-day sun to burn. Put an SPF 15 sunscreen on the person's skin, and it would take 15 times as long.

Some argue that sunscreens with higher SPFs mislead people into a false sense of security. The Environmental Working Group, for instance, would like the FDA to cap SPF at 50.

"When you wear these high SPF products, you wind up staying out in the sun for longer without getting a burn, but while you're out there, you may be absorbing a high amount of UVA rays," says Nneka Leiba, a senior analyst with the group, which publishes an annual guide to sunscreens at www.ewg.org.

Chemical concerns

Two chemicals frequently found in sunscreen -- oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate -- concern the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit group that specializes in the research of toxic chemicals. The group says oxybenzone may affect a child's hormonal system and that retinyl palmitate, a vitamin A derivative, increases the risk of skin cancer.

But some experts dispute that. Oxybenzone studies were done on animals, not humans, Sechrist said. Dermatologists say no data supports a link between retinoids and cancer.

What about sprays?

Theoretically, sprays should provide as much protection as lotions. Some fear that children may inadvertently ingest some of the mist. Other experts say sprays may not go on evenly.

Experts agree that much of the choice rests on personal preference.

"It's got to be something you will actually put on, because it doesn't work in the bottle," Mark said.

Article source: http://www.indystar.com/article/20120520/LIVING01/205200315/How-save-your-skin-from-sun