Remember, the best SAFE sun protection often sells out for a few weeks well ahead of Summer so this is the perfect time to talk about this.
A few basics to remember!
- The sun is not the enemy
- We actually need sun exposure to get adequate vitamin D & critical photoproducts
- RESPONSIBLE sun exposure is key, which includes avoiding sunscreens with dangerous or misleading ingredients and opting for sun barriers when needed instead (clothing + shade)
Overexposure can damage the skin’s fragile oils and make photo damage, acne and irritation worse, so even if you hate sunscreen, get some safe stuff for your face.
Basically, you have two choices- chemical sunscreens and physical zinc-based sunscreens, which are safer, but you need to choose wisely.
The original products labeled “screens” only protected against UVA, but are now required to offer some UVA and UVB protection. This is where the term “broad-spectrum” came from. It was an alternative to sunblock (there are liability issues with this term-nothing truly “blocks” the sun) that still indicated protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
Most chemical-based sunscreens on the market use “-benzone” ingredients like avobenzone and oxybenzone, which we should be avoiding! These include Neutrogena, Coppertone and Banana Boat. Also remember that SPF maxes out between 30 and 50, anything over that doesn’t actually exist as the number of chemicals increase.
Another great concern is that the chemical sunscreens use many ingredients that may actually become MORE dangerous when they are exposed to UV light!
The safest sunscreen you can buy is a zinc-based sunscreen, but you have got to choose the right kind.
A big mistake people make when choosing a safer sunscreen is that they don’t realize when the ingredients have separated. With many lotions, the zinc separates from the suspension ingredients and we never even realize it! These products can be difficult to mix up because they do not shake well. Shake them well if you can!
Many of the spray sunscreens also have the separation issues along with inhalation risks.
Do not forget that many of today’s zinc sunscreens are meant to leave less of a white, thick appearance, it’s even harder to tell whether we are adequately covered.
Add that to suspension ingredients that don’t maintain the blend of zinc with carrier ingredients and you’ve got a burning situation just waiting to happen.
Do your research and choose wisely!
This is brand that has options the whole family can use.
Enjoy the sun, but protect yourself!
