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A pet's guide to safer sunscreen
My pals at EWG have been talking an awful lot about sunscreen lately. That's partly because it's summer (and in Washington D.C., summer is serious business!). But it's mostly because they just released a big investigation of almost 1,000 different sunscreens -- and they've got some bad news. It turns out that 4 out of every 5 sunscreens that humans use to protect their furless skin either don't work the way they supposed to, or they've got chemicals that could make people sick over time.
That got me wondering about sunscreens for animals. After all, we like to spend time in the sun during the summer. But if no one is looking out for people sunscreen, you can bet your biscuit no one's making sure ours is any good. So I did some investigating.
I think it goes without saying that you should put these sunscreens where you won't be licking them off--like tips of ears, top of nose, and other spots where fur is thin -- and don't forget to reapply after taking a swim!
Here are all the pet sunscreens I could find online, from best to worst:
1. VetOne UVet Sunscreen Lotion
SPF 40, for horses, dogs, and cats ($5.99 for 2 fl oz lotion)
Of the 10 pet sunscreens I could find online, this one's the best. It's fully labeled, and contains titanium dioxide. But octyl methoxycinnamate is of moderate concern (scores a 4 in Skin Deep) and it contains other ingredients to avoid whenever you can: propylene glycol, triethanolamine, imidurea, parabens.
2. VetOne UVet Sunscreen Spray
SPF 40, for horses, dogs, and cats ($15.85 for 16 fl oz spray)
Not bad. Same formula as the lotion above. Best bet for horses since sprays are easiest, but be careful not to inhale it! (Sprays are less safe than lotions because you can inhale the chemicals.)
3. VetOne Uvet Sunscreen Lotion
SPF 15, for dogs ($4.49 for 2 fl oz lotion)
Full label listing, and it even contains titanium dioxide, which is good, but also a few nasties: propylene glycol, triethanolamine, imidurea, parabens. And it's a spray, and the SPF is lower than 30 (that's EWG's threshold of SPF safety.) It's alright but you might get burnt, so pack something else for the beach. Note that kitties
should not use this product!
4. Nutri-Vet Sun Defense Sunscreen for Dogs
SPF 15, for dogs ($8.99 for 4 oz spray)
Same exact ingredients as the VetOne lotion above, but it's a spray, which is bad because you can inhale the chemicals. But there's a full label listing, and it even contains titanium dioxide, which is good, but also a few nasties: propylene glycol, triethanolamine, imidurea, parabens. It's alright, but I'd avoid it. Not for kitties!
5. Veterinarian's Best Sun Spray Sunscreen with Aloe Vera
SPF 15, for dogs ($5.39 for 4 oz spray)
This one has incomplete label information, but zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are good and at least the SPF is listed. And it's a spray. It's okay, but there are better options. Also not for kitties!
6. Absorbine(r) Santa Fe Coat Conditioner
SPF 8, for horses ($11.90 for 32 fl oz spray)
This one's not meant to be a sunscreen, really, which you can tell from the SPF, and octyl methoxycinnamate is of moderate concern and not too good at blocking UVA. Plus there's fragrance, DMDM hydantoin (scores a 7-9 in Skin Deep), tocopheryl acetate, and octoxynol 9 (scores 8). And it's a spray. Use only if you're a horse who wants a shiny coat and minimal sun protection.
7. Filta-Bac Sunfilter and Antibacterial Cream
No SPF listed, for dogs, horses, cattle, sheep, and goats ($20 for 220 g cream)
Between the incomplete label information, no listed SPF, benzalkonium chloride (scores a 6 in Skin Deep), and that it's not really meant to be only a sunscreen, I have to say avoid. But it does contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are good sunblockers. I'd avoid this one unless you have a boo-boo and aren't worried about getting sunburnt.
8. Epi-Pet Sun Protector Spray
No SPF listed, for dogs and horses ($17.95 for 4.0 oz spray)
This one contains benzophenone-3, aka oxybenzone (which scores an 8 in Skin Deep), plus it has ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and no listed SPF, and it's a spray. Avoid!
9. Healthy Hair Care Products for Horses, Sunflower Sunscreens with Sunflower Extract and Conditioners
No SPF listed, for horses ($12.90 for 32 fl oz spray)
The label has an incomplete ingredient list, and I can't find any evidence that sunflower extract blocks UVA radiation (like the label says). Plus the UVB blocker isn't listed at all, and it's a spray. Avoid this one, ponies!
10. Doggles Pet Sunscreen
SPF 15, for dogs ($12.99 for 2 oz spray)
No ingredients listed at all, and it's an easily inhalable spray. Hmm. Avoid this one for sure!
Do you use sunscreen when you're headed to the beach or out for a hike? Have you ever dealt with a burned nose? Tell us all about it in the comments!
Photo: Portrait of a Horse by Tambako.
Just wondering...can't we dogs wear the same sunscreen as humans? My human wears California Baby, it uses titanium dioxide and has no bad stuff...she uses that on my nose sometimes.
I have used happytails' "flea the scene" which claims to contain sunscreen in addition to being a "skin soothing anti-bug spray".
My owner has never even thought about this one. I have a very cracked nose,what do you suggest I put on it? I'm a nine year old one-eyed boxer.
I, too, use Happy Tails "Flea the Scene" and it works well as a bug repellent. We live in Florida so we monitor sun exposure VERY closely. I've not had a dog get sunburned yet so I can't say whether it's the sunscreen or a diligent Dog Mom.
My mommy uses Badger brand sunscreen and she puts it on my nose. I lick it off though. Do you think that might be bad for me?
The only possible mild burn I've ever seen on a pet was on my cat's ears. He was in a modified cat cage for the backseat of a convertible we drove from California to New York. The roof wasn't open much, and he(my cat) generally slept underneath the blanket, but his ears did get a little pink (or so it appeared when the sun shone through them making his ears appear as rose petals).
I never noticed burns or redness on the horses, dogs, sheep, outdoor cats, chickens, or other pets we had growing up, but they generally had plenty of shade.
I would be concerned with ingestion of whatever is in the pet/human sunscreens (we humans bathe with something other than tongues) According to this site: http://www.theorganicmakeupcompany.com/CA/titaniumdioxide.asp
"...among the following species: rats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats and human males, ingestion of titanium dioxide at varying diet percentages and over long periods of time did not cause absorption of this mineral. Titanium dioxide particulates were not detected in the blood, liver, kidney or urine and no adverse effects were noted from its ingestion."
Sites such as www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com sell pure titanium dioxide for anyone choosing the DIY route.
Flea the Scene looks like pretty decent stuff! It contains titanium dioxide, which is one of the sunscreen the humans at EWG approve of. The only problem is that it doesn't list an SPF, so there's no real way of knowing how much protection it provides. But if it seems to do the trick, then by all means, keep using it! I'm going to have to look into this whole Doggie Wellness line.
Now, I'm no vet, so I can't say for sure. But I think that if you're using one of the best human sunscreens, like Badger or California Baby, you're probably doing just fine by your pet. The only problem with it being licked off is that many sunscreens contain nano-scale ingredients, and there isn't a lot of information on how safe that stuff is. if you're applying sunscreen for the occasional day at the beach, I'd say it's probably a good idea, but I wouldn't want to be eating that stuff every day.
Danko, I know that broken skin can permit sunscreen ingredients into the body more readily. You might want to ask a vet about your boxer's nose & whether sunscreen is a good idea.
I checked the Skin Deep website before buying a new sunblock this year and got their top rated product http://cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/index.php, which is Keys Solar http://www.keys-soap.com/xcart41/product.php?productid=31 When we were visiting Hyannis a month ago, we did use it on ourselves as well as on our Bichon boy's nose (not the black tip but above). Keys website says it is good for pets and since he couldn't lick it we hope it was fine. Besides we tried to cover him as much as we could with hats, fabric so that he won't be exposed but also not hot. This was mostly when we were having boat tours.
KEYS only for the dog, cat and me!! http://www.keys-soap.com/
It is my cleanser and I give it (Meta Care cleanser) to the dog groomer for her bathing - otherwise she scratches herself raw for two weeks! Redi Care for insect repellent (ticks/fleas) the mosquitos HATE it! Awesome for humans and furry friends!
Hey, Eddie,
Would you look at the Flea the Scene and other Happy Tails products. They look great but then I saw macadamia oil in some of them. My dog does lick her fur like a cat and I'm worried about the macadamia exposure. Is it enough to worry about? Thanks!
Sunblock can help animals. Make sure that it is high-factor and non-toxic. There are a range of animal specific products such as Yumega sunscreen to make sure that it won't harm your pet.
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