Sunscreen Scandal, Mag Melancholy and a Sweet Surrender
Science doubts sunscreens, fit magazines sadden readers and a “sweet gene” takes the blame.
No Place in the Sun
News alert: Your sunscreen may be lying to you. A recent investigation of almost 1,000 name-brand sunscreens found that four out of five offer inadequate protection from el sol or have ingredients that you can’t pronounce and may pose a safety risk. The biggest offenders? Your biggest brand names: Coppertone, Banana Boat and Neutrogena. What is up, big company guys?! I am a pale, pale girl. This is NOT cool.
The best sunscreens tested were mostly organic or natural products, although some of the big brand names did make appearances in the low- to moderate-risk categories. New to me, California Baby was one of the best ranked sunscreens.
My beloved Aveeno scored a three, a moderate hazard. I just may never go out in the sun again…
SPF 40, my arse.
Fit Mag=Sad Reader?
To continue the not-so-great news, here’s another uplifting story. (It’s Tuesday, nobody likes Tuesday anyways, right? It’s like an extension of Monday. The weekend is so far away.) Muscle magazines that feature women with seemingly perfect bodies may have the opposite effect on your workout than what you’re hoping for. According to research, women working out while reading Oxygen magazine were more anxious and depressed than those reading Oprah, National Geographic or Horse & Rider (interesting pick there, researchers. I would have preferred Cat Fancy personally.) With models like this to live up to, it’s no wonder wenormal folks get discouraged.
If you’re a muscle mag addict at the gym, next time try picking up something new. Or don’t read at all and jam to this playlist.
Oxygen ain’t gonna like this one.
If the Genes Fit
Good news, finally! Now you can blame your genes for not fitting in your jeans. (Ha, I’m so original.) But seriously, researchers have located a variant of a gene in some people (ahem, me) that makes them dessert obsessed. Cake, soda, fruit, this variant wants it all.
The Fit Bottomed Girls always/usually practice balance and moderation in their meals, but this explains so much. I always suspected that my sweet tooth was my grandmother’s doing…
Don’t sweat the sweet stuff.
—Jenn
Photos grabbed from www.californiababy.com and http://www.threadless.com/product/1319/Cake_Is_Awesome.
Comments
So that’s why I got horrible burns even though I used SPF 70 Aveeno when I was in Mexico recently… D’oh!
Also, is there a “Dorito” gene? ‘Cause there has to be some reason I lurve chips and salty snacks… I mean, other than the fact that they have tones of tasty additives and salt seasonings 🙂
I have yet to wear sunscreen and my wife has yet to go out in public without…..maybe we should meet in the middle?
Elizabeth–Yes, there HAS to be a Dorito gene. And my next question is, can you have both the sweeth tooth gene and the dorito gene?
Mark–I really may just never venture outside again during the day…but then there’s that whole Vitamin D problem. It’s seriously, so confusing.
iheard that about fitness magazines and i was at the gym today reading one, and i didnt really notice a difference.
that was my scientific research. so their study is wrong.
http://www.groundedfitness.com
Every Gym’s Nightmare’s study is cracking me up…Well there ya go. I wonder if this person is a lad or lady though because I don’t know very many women that can look at that heifa on the cover and feel all warm fuzzy and optimistic.
Hey Jenn,
You have a great writing style.
It’s very true that most sunscreens are bad for you.
One of the things that gets me mad is the fact that school kids where I live, especially elementary school kids, are required to put on these damaging sunscreens or they will not be allowed to go out and play.
I do think it’s important to bathe in the sun often… even if it’s for a short period of time. This is one of the best ways to get your Vit D.
Personally, I never wear sunscreen.
Also, I have specialized in women’s fitness for 21 years. I have found that Oxygen magazine is not well suited for average women seeking to tighten their body and lose some weight.
Oxygen is more of a hardcore magazine better suited for fitness competitors and bodybuilders.
Thanks for the great post.
Have a wonderful day.
I keep hoping the evil big sunscreen companies will change their formulas so that lazy people like me can just go to the drugstore and buy what’s there. Because I keep MEANING to find better products and order them online, yet somehow when I reach in the medicine cabinet it’s the same Nasty Neutragena stuff sitting there because I haven’t gotten around to it.
Time to get off my butt, I think.
Every Gym’s Nightmare: LOL. Very scientific. I can’t read while I workout anyhow, so the whole study is a moot point for me. 😉
Anonymous: Only because you said “heifa” did I know who you are…hehe.
Alexander: Thanks! I figure a big ole hat to protect me from the sun is good along with missing the peak sun times. I’m very, very fair, so nothing really isn’t an option for me.
Crabby: I’m hoping the brand name commercial sunscreens will change soon. Heck, Clorox got on the healthy, eco-friendly cleaning bandwagon, so hopefully sunscreens do the same! It’s too big of a market for them to miss out on, I would think/hope.
I love cosmetics database and yes the sunscreen section is the most scary, although the baby section is a little as well.
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