Exposure to sunlight provides all sorts of health benefits, including helping our bodies manufacture vital vitamin D. But too much of a good thing can be harmful. Unfortunately, many people turn to regular commercial grade sunscreen which can be very toxic and actually cause more harm than good.
Your skin is your largest organ and most of what you put on your skin will enter the bloodstream. A good motto is if you wouldn’t eat because it would be harmful, don’t put it anywhere on your body. Avoiding putting toxins on the skin is especially important for children because of their body weight is so low compared to their skin surface area.
Most scientists and public health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, have found little evidence that the use of sunscreens in isolation from other sun protective measures prevents most types of skin cancer. If fact, the rates of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, have tripled over the past 35 years. Interesting that there are more sunscreens on the market than ever, but the rates of melanoma have tripled.
Sunscreen can be one way to minimize your exposure to much sun. But don’t count on that as your only tool. Especially if you haven’t researched the sunscreen you are using. The 2018 review of sunscreen by the Environmental Working Group found that nearly 67 percent of sunscreens didn’t work. That means that the sunscreens provided inadequate sun protection and/or they contained harmful ingredients.
Here are some things you should know when looking for a safe sunscreen.
Don’t be Misled by a High SPF Value
Originally, sunscreens were formulated to block UVB rays. Now we know that it is the UVA rays that penetrate below the skin and can suppress the immune system, leading to an increased risk of melanoma. A sunscreen lotion’s SPF rating has little to do with the product’s ability to shield the skin from UVA rays. As a result of the FDA’s restrictions on ingredients and concentrations, U.S. sunscreens offer far less protection against UVA than UVB rays. Turns out this is even more true products with the highest SPF values.
Additionally, the SPF values vary according to testing conditions. Independent labels testing the same lotion saw values vary from SPF 37 to SPF 75. In actual use, the SPF value is determined by the amount of the product used. To make it even more confusing, we know that a higher SPF theoretically number means you could be exposed to sun for a longer amount of time. But the SPF rating also indicates the level of UVB absorption and this number doesn’t increase exponentially. For example, an SPF of 15 absorbs 93.3 percent of UVB rays, but an SPF of 30 absorbs 96.7 percent. The SPF number has doubled, but the absorption rate has increased by only 3.4 percent. In fact, the rate of UVB absorption only varies by 10.5% between SPF 8 and SPF 50.
Endocrine Dispruptors
Oxybenzone, octinoxate, and homosalate are commonly found in sunscreens and are endocrine disruptors meaning they act like estrogen once they enter you bloodstream. They can disrupt the reproductive system of both men and women and adversely affect the thyroid. Oxybenzone absorbs and filters UV light and is therefore often used in sunscreen, despite causing relatively high rates of skin allergies. In addition, your body has to work to remove these chemicals, thereby increasing your toxic burden.
Parabens
Parabens are a group of synthetic compounds commonly added to cosmetics and body products because they prevent the growth of fungus and bacteria. They are dangerous because they disrupt hormone functions, potentially leading to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity. Five common types of parabens have been banned in the European Union, and the FDA is considering banning them in the United States.
Retinyl Palmitate
Retinyl palmitate is a form of Vitamin A. It is used in a large number of sunscreens and SPF- containing moisturizers and lip balms because it is believed to slow skin aging. But, when exposed to sunlight, it has been shown to speed the development of malignant cells and skin tumors because UV rays cause the compound to break down and produce destructive free radicals.
Nanoparticles
Most zinc oxide and titanium dioxide-based sunscreens contain nanoparticles which are one-twentieth the width of a human hair. This is done to reduce or eliminate the chalky white tint that larger particles leave on the skin. The issue is that they can enter the bloodstream. At this point in time, there is conflicting information about any harmful affects of nanoparticles in a sunscreen cream. Nanoparticles can cause lung damage if inhaled and could cause damage to the gastrointesinal tract if swallowed. This is not likely to happen when using a cream.
Part of what makes the use of nanoparticles not so straight forward is that sunscreen manufacturers commonly employ surface coatings on nanoparticles that can dramatically reduce the potential for photoactivity, with data suggesting that they reduce UV reactivity. In sunscreens, problems may arise if particles are not treated with inert coatings, if the coatings are not stable, or if manufacturers use forms of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide that are not optimized for stability and sun protection.
If you want to be safe, I would recommend avoiding nanoparticles.
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