Sunscreen Prohibited From Public Schools
Published on May 15, 2012 by GirlieGirlArmy · 7 CommentsIn light of Melanoma Awareness Month and National Sunscreen Day on May 27th, take this scary factoid, and then slather your kiddles in SPF! Sunscreens are prohibited from all public schools in America, except in the state of California as the FDA regulates them as over- the-counter drugs. Presently, California is the only state to allow the use of sunscreen during the school day without a physician’s note or prescription.
With over 3.5 million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed annually, it’s time to take action. Coinciding with Melanoma Awareness Month, Holly Thaggard CEO and founder of Supergoop! (a line of sunscreens formulated without parabens, petrochemicals, fragrances, and phthalates to provide consumers with an environment- and body-friendly choice for everyday UV protection) is doing just that with the launch of Project Backpack™, an initiative to advocate change in state policies, allowing the use of sunscreen on school campuses.
Kids aren’t getting the sunscreen message. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, unprotected sun exposure during childhood and early adult years significantly increases a child’s chance of developing skin cancer; yet, in a survey conducted by The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, only 25% of students said they “often or always” use sunscreen when outside for at least six hours in the summer.
Launching nationwide May 2012, Project Backpack™ serves as a vehicle to influence a change in state policies, allowing the use of sunscreen on school campuses, while simultaneously providing sunscreen to schools across the United States. For every SPF 30 Everyday UV Lotion sold, Supergoop! will donate one backpack-sized sunscreen to one of its partner schools in the U.S.. This year, the goal is to provide sunscreen for 30,000 – 40,000 students (K – 12) in approved partner schools, starting in California.
The idea for Project Backpack™ arose when Holly’s daughter came home from her first grade class prior to an outdoor field trip with a note in her backpack stating that any sunscreen included in a child’s backpack would be discarded. Although aware the law prohibiting sunscreens in schools existed, the incident served as a catalyst to officially launch Project Backpack™.
Holly & her beautiful kids, above.
“As a parent I was upset and as a suncare professional, I was discouraged that sun protection laws are so antiquated,” said Thaggard. “How does a law exist that prohibits the use of sunscreen at school? I decided that there needed to be an effective platform for concerned parents to contest such counterintuitive legislation.” Through this campaign, Supergoop! hopes to teach sun safety while also providing children with the necessary sun protection to encourage early adoption of healthy skincare habits.
Dermatologist Joel Schlessinger, MD, past president of American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery and founder of LovelySkin.com, states, “Safe sun exposure is essential at every age. It is imperative that we break habits such as going on the playground unprotected. Project Backpack has identified one area where sun exposure regrettably is nearly unavoidable due to current school rules. As a dermatologist, I feel this type of program is fantastic and will serve our most precious asset, our kids, well.”
Make a difference and support Project Backpack™ by purchasing Supergoop’s SPF 30 Everyday UV Lotion at retailers nationwide, nominating and advocating the program in your child’s school, “liking” the Project Backpack™ campaign on Facebook, and/or signing a petition on Supergoop.com/projectbackpack.
Tags: Holly Thaggard, Joel Schlessinger, Project Backpack, Skin Cancer Foundation, Supergoop!
Readers Comments (7)
This post was very informative. I signed the petition and cant wait to buy Supergoop!!!
veganamericanprincess.com
I support everyone’s choice to wear vegan, nontoxic sunscreen. However, I actually think it’s so much healthier to just use a hat/sunglasses/anything else to block the rays instead of sunscreen. Skin cancer has only increased since sunscreen became popular. The sun actually prevents cancer. I think our society has been a little duped by the media to believe the sun is so incredibly dangerous. The best thing you can do to avoid skin cancer is eat a healthy diet with plenty of plant foods. This will determine how your skin responds to the sun. If you’re highly toxic the sun will draw the toxins out through your skin (which is actually good for a toxic body but will cause damage to the skin). Vitamin D from the sun is different than what we get in a pill. I read it is thought to have 5 co-factors that aren’t being created in laboratories. Childhood is the time to build strong bones, so I think avoiding sunburn is great but blocking the UV through sunscreen isn’t always the best thing to do.
Instead of banning sunscreen, we need to petition the FDA to regulate the garbage that goes into it. Europe has banned over 1200 ingredients from personal care products, the US- only 10. This is why we continue to slather ourselves with hormone altering and carinogenic ingredients. Mercury, lead, toluene and formaldehyde (among countless others) have no business in what I put on my skin.
Sorry, that was supposed to be in response to the article, not your post. You are right about the vitamin D and sunshine, although all one needs is 15 minutes to receive an adequate amount, and that should be without sunscreen to receive the effects.
Great points on diet and alternative ways to stay skin healthy. I must add however, that as a freckly redhead with super pale skin, i burned and blistered quite terribly over the summer months. Healthy diet, hats, big t-shirts always required over my swimwear, etc. were of course major… we mostly ate fresh greens and my mom was iffy about sunscreen ingerdients and toxins in the late 70s – 80s… but on those swimmy days that mom didn’t slather me up on sunscreen continuously, i ended up with thee worst, most painful burns and blisters one can imagine. On the days she gave in and DID keep me doused, only a mild redness (and slew of extra freckles) emerged. So im pretty sure it’s safe to say that sunscreen — even the antiquated formulas of its earlier days — IS important, especially for those with sensitive skin. My kids are small but i hope i can help make a difference in this initiative so that by the time they are in school, they too will have to oppty to protect themselves. No way i could handle seeing their sweet faces terribly blistered and their lil bodies ache, espec knowing there are much safer products available today that could have prevented it. Must have been so heartbreaking for my mom and for any othe. parent to endure.
All commenters arguing about the type and/or usefulness of sunscreen are completely missing the point: On a hot day, kids should have the *right* to apply sunscreen. We can argue later about whether that’s the most appropriate action to take.
Consider another example: if you’re crossing a street and see a car barreling at you, way over the speed limit, you’re not going to gesture or somehow communicate to the driver that they need to slow down. You’re going to address the most immediate situation: Get the out of the way!
Sure, the driver may have been in the wrong, and yes, the most “correct” answer would be for him to slow down and observe the speed limit, but that’s not much help to you if you’re roadkill.
A kid might incrementally increase his/her risk of cancer or disease by applying sunscreen on a particularly hot day, but for the immediate benefit of not getting burnt to a crisp. I think that’s a fair trade-off, even if it’s not and ideal long-term practice.
Nancy,
I somewhat agree. I don’t slather my kid or myself in sunscreen unless it’s a real rager of a sunny, heat wave. On a regular sunshiney summer day, maybe I’ll put some on his exposed limbs, but not the constant thick layers most parents apply. Some natural D is super healthy and life affirming! Thanks for this other perspective. Still, I think sunscreen should be legal in schools, particularly in States where it’s blazing summer more months than not.