So far, the evidence suggests only that some skin moisturizers may promote the spread of skin cancer and the growth of tumors in mice
exposed to UV radiation. Humans may be spared. Or not. HealthNews reports that researchers at Rutgers University found that the mice treated with the skin moisturizers showed
an increase in the rate of tumor formation and found that more tumors
developed on mice treated with moisturizers than on those only treated
with UV radiation. According to HealthNews, the rates of increase in tumor activity from the
application of each moisturizer in the analysis were:
- 24 Percent for Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream (Beiersdorf of Hamburg Germany)
- 58 Percent for Vanicream (Pharmaceutical Specialties Inc., in Rochester, Minnesota)
- 69 Percent for Dermabase (Patrick Laboratories in Minneapolis)
- 95 Percent for Dermovan (Galderma Laboratory Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas)