Sunscreen
Sunscreen Ingredients may be Dangerous for Your Health
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), you have a 4 in 5 chance of picking a potentially dangerous sunscreen to wear. The EWG evaluated FDA pending and approved sunscreen ingredients. Many of these ingredients are nano-sized molecules that penetrate the skin barrier affecting organs and hormone receptors. These chemicals may also cause dysfunction in the reproductive, nervous, thyroid and immune systems. Allergies are also known to occur when wearing skin care products with these ingredients.
- About 30% of sunscreens contain retinyl palmitate or retinol. This chemical reacts to sunlight and may cause hyperplasia, skin tumors and create free-radicals that potentially damage DNA.
- Many of the ingredients in sunscreen may release dangerous free radicals into the skin when blocking UV rays.
- Oxybenzone (a synthetic estrogen), the most common active ingredient in sunscreen has been shown to cause allergic reactions and interrupt hormone activity.
- Another dangerous chemical found in sunscreen is Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC). It has been shown to cause hormone disruption, immune dysfunction, and allergic reactions.
What Makes a Good Sunscreen?
Many experts teach that there is no good sunscreen. Some even go as far as to say that wearing sunscreen is dangerous because it blocks the absorption of vitamin D by the body. Many of these individuals blame vitamin D deficiency, not the sun, for most skin cancer cases.
When possible, it is a good idea to avoid wearing sun screen altogether. If you must wear it, sunscreens without dangerous ingredients are ideal. Here is a list for the EWG’s top sunscreens.
Top 10 EWG Recommended Sunscreens
- Wear a hat and long sleeve shirt (by far the best form of sunscreen available).
- Aubrey Organics: Natural Sun Sport Stick Unscented Sunscreen, SPF 30
- Badger: Sunscreen, Unscented, SPF 30+
- Beyond Coastal: Natural Clear, SPF 30
- Climb On!: Mineral Sunblock, SPF 30
- Doctor T’s Supergoop!: Quickstick, SPF 30
- Elemental Herbs: Sunscreen Sport, SPF 20
- Esse: Sunscreen, SPF 25
- GLACIER CRÈME: Glacier Creme Naked Protection, SPF 30+
- Kabana Skin Care: Green Screen Organic Sunscreen Fragrance Free, SPF 20
The best practice, according to many industry experts, is to get some direct sunlight on your skin daily. Try to stay out for manageable periods of time that will not get you burned. If you will be out for a prolonged period of time, wear clothes that keep your skin covered to avoid harsh burns. Finally, if you must, choose your sunscreen carefully and check out EWG for the latest in sunscreen products, research, dangerous ingredients and healthy tips.
Resource:
< http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/>
2 COMMENTS
So sick of articles that point out problems, but don’t point out viable solutions. Some of our skins are SO sensitive and so prone to sun related issues (moles, sunburn, skin cancers), we MUST have some sort of sunscreen above 30 SPF. I take 2000 IU Vit D3 daily, and have not been deficient in a long time… but that doesn’t mean I still don’t get sunburned literally within 15 minutes.
Thanks for your comment! We respect your position and are sorry you feel like we are focusing on the problem and not the solution. We assure you, solutions are why we are here, problems simply create a need for them.
Unfortunately, the solution to this problem is not the one that most people want to hear. If you get burned really easily, it is best to avoid the sun durring the hottest parts of the day. You can still enjoy exposure on your skin durring the morning and afternoon, but for a good 4 – 6+ hours in-between, it is best to stay covered or in the shade. It also may help to get sun early in the spring so that your skin has some sort of base leading up to summer. Finally, as a last measure, you can always use one of the safer sunscreens listed above.
We really appreciate your feedback and hope this helps. Please continue to provide feedback, positive, negative or otherwise so we can make sure we are effectively serving you. Enjoy your summer!