Moisturizers Cause Skin Cancer in Mice

Researchers are reporting that common skin moisturizers cause skin tumors in mice. Rates of non-melanoma skin cancers increased between 24 and 95 percent in hairless mice treated with moisturizing cream and exposed to heavy doses of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, though these rates dropped sharply when certain suspect ingredients were left out of the cream. Many dermatologists question the importance of this study in relation to humans and are drawing attention to the fact that mouse skin is significantly more sensitive than human skin and that the mice were exposed to UV radiation doses exceeding what a person would normally encounter in his lifetime