The Problem with SunScreens
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Beware of Toxin-Loaded Sunscreens
Conventional health and beauty experts say that applying sunscreen is an essential part of having youthful-looking skin. They claim that sunscreen helps protect you from damaging UV rays and prevents your skin from forming wrinkles and blemishes.
But, beware: sunscreens, although useful in preventing damage caused by overexposure to the sun, may expose you to a number of toxic chemicals that can have negative effects on your overall health.
It’s time to learn the truth about conventional sunscreens and why safe and moderate sun exposure is actually good for your health.
Many Commercial Sunscreens Are Loaded with Harmful Chemicals
If you look at the label of your commercial sunscreen, you will probably notice several chemical ingredients, including:
- OMC (Octyl methoxycinnamate)
- Octocrylene
- Avobenzone
- Oxybenzone
- Homosalate
- Octinoxatre
- Octisalate
- Para amino benzoic acid
They can be absorbed into your bloodstream and disrupt your hormones. What’s more, many people fail to apply sunscreen properly so they do not get ample protection at all – which means they are using these chemical-loaded products without any benefit!
In fact, an annual sunscreen report put together by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), revealed that only 39 of the 500 products they examined were considered safe and effective to use.
Many sunscreens do not filter out harmful UVA rays that penetrate your skin more deeply and cause more free radical damage than UVB rays. Instead, they block the beneficial UVB rays, which are necessary for vitamin D production.
This is why if you use sunscreen, you must make sure that it is free of harmful chemicals, is made from natural ingredients, and provides UVA protection.
When Is It a Good Idea to Apply Sunscreen?
The best time to expose yourself to the sun to maximize your vitamin D production is as close to solar noon as possible. Once your skin turns the lightest shade of pink (if you're Caucasian), it's time to get out of the sun, as it means that your body will not produce any more vitamin D and you'll get a sunburn. Usually, this takes anywhere between five and 15 minutes.
However, there are times when it is wise to use a natural sunscreen, such as on days when you can’t control how much sun you are exposed to. For example, if you’re going to spend the whole day at the beach or if your work requires you to spend several hours out in the sun, then you should use an all-natural sunscreen. Applying sunscreen to areas that are susceptible to photoaging (such as the skin around your eyes) is recommended.
Finding a Safe, All-Natural Sunscreen
Your best bet is to find a sunscreen made from ingredients that will not only protect but also nourish your skin. Some of the best ingredients you should look for in a safe sunscreen are:
- Coconut oil
- Sunflower oil
- Jojoba oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Shea butter
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created a Sunscreen Guide that rates sunscreens according to their efficacy and safety, and shows which sunscreens are the worst offenders on the toxicity scale. You can also find out which titanium and zinc-containing sunscreens receive the highest ratings, as well as non-mineral options that have low toxicity levels.
About the Author
Elaine is a fan of Dr. Mercola. She is researching the importance of sun exposure and the role it plays in vitamin D production. She believes that safe and moderate sun exposure is better than taking vitamin D3 supplements.
*DISCLAIMER: This is a guest post that was sent to me by Mercola.com that I felt may be something that my readers would be interested in a Sun Damage is a very current and occurring problem and Sunscreen is something that we all should be using. I was not paid by the company to feature this guest post and would only include a guest post if I felt it was fitting to my blog content. Normal posts shall resume tomorrow*
Beth xx
1 comments
Such good information, I loved reading this! x
ReplyDeleteMaddy from UNSTITCHEDD
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