Most people are unaware of the harmful chemicals contained in commercial sunscreens and don’t realize there are natural sunscreen alternatives out there. As a healthcare practitioner, I think the topic of sunscreen is a particularly important subject when it comes to natural skincare. The predicament is that we need to expose our skin to sun regularly to stay healthy, but excessive sun exposure can have damaging effects on skin, including advanced signs of aging and skin cancer.
To help you make the best choices for your skin, we’ve done the research and have a simple breakdown of what you need to know to keep your skin healthy the natural way.
Most importantly, remember, the sun is NOT the enemy. Our bodies are designed to require sun exposure to produce Vitamin D, a vitamin produced within our bodies in response to sun exposure which is essential to a number of body processes, and sunlight exposure helps regulates certain time rhythms in our brains (ever woken up just before your alarm is about to go off?). Without adequate sun exposure we can actually become ill in a variety of ways.
Using commercial sunscreen regularly prevents our bodies from getting the sun exposure that is essential for health because it reduces vitamin D production by up to 97%.
Facts and Myths about Sun Exposure
In the media, there has been a focus on promoting the dangers of sun exposure. Dangers do exist, but the media seems to primarily push commercial sunscreen as the solution, and there is some information they are leaving out. All too often in the popular media, they use scare tactics to grab the attention of their audience, and unfortunately it looks as though this is what is happening with the dangers of sun exposure.
But here is a brief summary what the current research is showing...
Excessive sun exposure which results in sunburns is correlated with the occurrence of melanoma (a serious type of skin cancer). There appears to be an increased tendency of melanoma in relation to an increased frequency and/or severity of sunburns.
However, other investigations have also shown that regular sun exposure which does NOT result in sunburn seems to be linked to a decreased occurrence of melanoma. And other studies into “safe” sunlight exposure have even linked it to the prevention of a number of types of cancer besides melanoma.
Why Commercial Sunscreens Are Toxic
The problem with sunscreen isn’t just that it blocks your skins ability to make vitamin D, it’s also that commercial sunscreens commonly contain a variety of chemicals that have been shown to be toxic. Most commercial sunscreens contain octyl methoxycinnamate, or OMC for short, which blocks UVB rays. But, OMC was found to kill mouse cells (even at a low dosage), and it was found to be more toxic when exposed to sunlight. So why would you put it on your skin? And then go out in the sunshine?
There is another common UVA blocker - butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (aka avobenzone) – that, though approved by the FDA for use in sunscreen, has been shown to be toxic as well. The Safety Data catalogue of chemicals from the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Lab at the prestigious Oxford University is vague about the safety data on avobenzone, but when it comes to rating personal protection from the chemical, it very specifically states to “treat [it] as potentially harmful.” And the list of harmful chemicals in commercial sunscreen doesn’t stop here.
What to Avoid
Here is a complete list of what to avoid in your sunscreen:
Avobenzone, Cinoxate, Dioxybenzone, Homosalate Menthyl anthranilate Octocrylene Octyl salicylate Oxybenzone Padimate O Phenylbenzimidazole Sulisobenzone Trolamime salicylate
The Natural Sunscreen Alternatives
Ultimately, it is best to go without sunscreen whenever possible and use other tactics to prevent a dangerous amount of exposure. Limit the length of time you spend in the sun whenever possible and try to spend time in the shade periodically. Wear protective clothing like a hat with a large brim to protect the sensitive skin of the face.
Sunscreen is best used only when you know that you will be exposed to sun for prolonged periods without protective clothing and opportunities for shade breaks. But obviously you don’t want to use the commercial sunscreens because they are actually causing more problems than they are preventing.
Start protecting your family’s skin the natural way. Begin using natural sunscreen today!
To help you make the best choices for your skin, we’ve done the research and have a simple breakdown of what you need to know to keep your skin healthy the natural way.
Most importantly, remember, the sun is NOT the enemy. Our bodies are designed to require sun exposure to produce Vitamin D, a vitamin produced within our bodies in response to sun exposure which is essential to a number of body processes, and sunlight exposure helps regulates certain time rhythms in our brains (ever woken up just before your alarm is about to go off?). Without adequate sun exposure we can actually become ill in a variety of ways.
Using commercial sunscreen regularly prevents our bodies from getting the sun exposure that is essential for health because it reduces vitamin D production by up to 97%.
Facts and Myths about Sun Exposure
In the media, there has been a focus on promoting the dangers of sun exposure. Dangers do exist, but the media seems to primarily push commercial sunscreen as the solution, and there is some information they are leaving out. All too often in the popular media, they use scare tactics to grab the attention of their audience, and unfortunately it looks as though this is what is happening with the dangers of sun exposure.
But here is a brief summary what the current research is showing...
Excessive sun exposure which results in sunburns is correlated with the occurrence of melanoma (a serious type of skin cancer). There appears to be an increased tendency of melanoma in relation to an increased frequency and/or severity of sunburns.
However, other investigations have also shown that regular sun exposure which does NOT result in sunburn seems to be linked to a decreased occurrence of melanoma. And other studies into “safe” sunlight exposure have even linked it to the prevention of a number of types of cancer besides melanoma.
Why Commercial Sunscreens Are Toxic
The problem with sunscreen isn’t just that it blocks your skins ability to make vitamin D, it’s also that commercial sunscreens commonly contain a variety of chemicals that have been shown to be toxic. Most commercial sunscreens contain octyl methoxycinnamate, or OMC for short, which blocks UVB rays. But, OMC was found to kill mouse cells (even at a low dosage), and it was found to be more toxic when exposed to sunlight. So why would you put it on your skin? And then go out in the sunshine?
There is another common UVA blocker - butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (aka avobenzone) – that, though approved by the FDA for use in sunscreen, has been shown to be toxic as well. The Safety Data catalogue of chemicals from the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Lab at the prestigious Oxford University is vague about the safety data on avobenzone, but when it comes to rating personal protection from the chemical, it very specifically states to “treat [it] as potentially harmful.” And the list of harmful chemicals in commercial sunscreen doesn’t stop here.
What to Avoid
Here is a complete list of what to avoid in your sunscreen:
Avobenzone, Cinoxate, Dioxybenzone, Homosalate Menthyl anthranilate Octocrylene Octyl salicylate Oxybenzone Padimate O Phenylbenzimidazole Sulisobenzone Trolamime salicylate
The Natural Sunscreen Alternatives
Ultimately, it is best to go without sunscreen whenever possible and use other tactics to prevent a dangerous amount of exposure. Limit the length of time you spend in the sun whenever possible and try to spend time in the shade periodically. Wear protective clothing like a hat with a large brim to protect the sensitive skin of the face.
Sunscreen is best used only when you know that you will be exposed to sun for prolonged periods without protective clothing and opportunities for shade breaks. But obviously you don’t want to use the commercial sunscreens because they are actually causing more problems than they are preventing.
Start protecting your family’s skin the natural way. Begin using natural sunscreen today!
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