Estrogen mimicker found in sunscreen

Q. I am a breast-cancer survivor and have heard that some sunscreens contain estrogenlike compounds. I cannot have anything that contains estrogen in or on my body, so I would like to know any brands to avoid and which brands are safe.

A. Benzophenone-3, also known as BP-3 or oxybenzone, has estrogenlike activity. We suggest looking for sunscreen that has physical blockers such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. These have no known hormonal activity.

For more information about sunscreen safety and a list of our favorite products, we are sending you our Guide to Skin Care and Treatment. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. S-28, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. I wanted to thank you for a recent Q&A about a safe way to get rid of mosquitoes in the house. The suggestion about 90 percent isopropyl alcohol was a great idea.

My husband was at the computer, saw two mosquitoes and sprayed them. They died instantly.

A. We are pleased the alcohol spray worked but we must note that a reader took us to task for leaving out a very important warning: that isopropyl alcohol is flammable. We suggested putting it in a plastic spray bottle and adjusting the nozzle until you get a fine mist, then spraying the mosquito when it lands.

The reader cautioned that in an unmarked bottle, the alcohol could be confused with water. If that mist came in contact with an open flame or any ignition source (camp lamps and fires, or electrical equipment like space heaters), it would act like a flamethrower, and someone would get hurt. We had not imagined the possibility of spraying the alcohol near a flame. We agree that isopropyl alcohol is indeed very flammable and must NEVER be sprayed near any ignition source.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them c/o King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., 15th floor, New York, NY 10019, or via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org