WHAT
By now, most of us know the importance of applying sunscreen when we are out in the sun & understand that prolonged sun exposure can put you at risk of skin cancer (and more wrinkles). By wearing sunscreen daily you can reduce this risk. It can also protect against blue light coming from light bulbs, phones, & computers that can damage your skin.
Ok cool, sunscreen = less risk of skin cancer & slower aging of your skin whether you are indoors or outside. BUT, recently we are discovering what exactly is in sunscreen & how it can effect our body.
Sunscreens contain either chemical UV filters or mineral UV filters as the active ingredient.
Chemical Filters: Benzophenone (BP)-type ultraviolet (UV) filters, oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate
Mineral Filters: zinc oxide, titanium oxide
In many non-mineral sunscreens there is also a common inactive ingredient called methylisothiazolinone, which is an allergen that is banned in the EU.
Before I explain whats going on when the chemical UV filters get into you body...You could be thinking, ok well, if the ingredients are not good for us, why isn't anyone regulating that? The FDA has little to no power to regulate the cosmetic industry, so the industry regulates itself through the Cosmetic Ingredient Panel (CIR). The CIR has only banned 12 ingredients for use in the US & doesn't have the power to bring legal action for use of an ingredient deemed unsafe. With that said, the FDA did have concerns about sunscreen and actually funded its own study on sunscreen. The results were recently released showing the chemicals that can be harmful to humans and are absorbed into the blood stream at higher levels than expected. Yikes!
That’s where, clean & safer sunscreen comes in.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Our skin absorbs what we put on it. When we put sunscreen containing unhealthy chemicals, it gets absorb and can be measured in your blood, urine, & breast milk for the mama's out there. This also the case for lotions & cosmetics.
What you put on your skin gets into your body and the chemical UV filters can negatively impact human hormones.
One common type of chemical UV filter, Benzophenone (BP), is potential endocrine disrupting as it's an estrogenic chemical. What the heck does that even mean??
It means, when this is absorbed into your body through your skin it behaves like estrogen in your body. This effect can cause health issues such as endometriosis, infertility, and is linked to breast cancer.
When the CDC collected information on children, they found that when adolescent boys were exposed to oxybenzone, a chemical UV filter, they had significantly lower levels of testosterone. Other side affects such as lower sperm count, a delay in puberty, and altering women's cycles have also been shown.
Another reason to give a damn about safer sunscreen, THE EARTH.
The chemicals in sunscreen impact the plants & animals in the ocean when we hop in the water at the beach. Did you know that HALF of the Great Barrier Reef has DIED?? The use of sunscreen is one factor in this occurrence. Hawaii is banning the use of sunscreens with chemical UV filters to protect their ecosystem.
I don’t know about you, but I would really love the future generation to enjoy seeing the beauty & wonder that is in the ocean. Small efforts matter. Using safer sunscreen matters.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT
It is reallly not recommended to quit using sunscreen. There is a reason and a need to protect against sun rays when you're outdoors and blue light when indoors. You just have to be careful about what you are buying and putting on your skin.
I found a sunscreen from Beautycounter and have come to REALLY LOVE it. It contains safer ingredients, is lightweight, and gentle enough to put on your face & body daily. It's also a recommended safe sunscreen from the Environmental Working Group, which is a non-profit organization aimed to promote healthier living environments for everyone.
I put a pea sized amount on my face & neck every morning after applying my face serums. A tiny amount of it goes a long way so it lasts!I don't spend a ton of time outside, but I do sit in front of a computer all day, which can damage your skin. Wearing this, I know I am protect my skin without compromising my health.
Lastly, if you don't want to purchase & wear mineral sunscreen, & don't really care about blue light damage indoors, you can be conscious in practicing safe sun behaviors without sunscreen. This means when you do go outside, protect yourself with shade. Sun is so good for us in smaller doses. Think about exposing different body parts to sunlight for 15 mins at a time to get the sun benefits, reduce risk due to the sun rays, while not wearing sunscreen.
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