Sunscreen: friend of foe?

Dear Friend, 

What if you’re planning an activity that’s going to involve being out in the sun all day? Like if you’re on a hike or at the beach. Sunscreens are necessary then, aren’t they? Well maybe. But first, do you know what’s in most sunscreen products? How’s this for an ingredient list: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate. Whoa. These chemicals have been linked to skin allergies and hormone imbalances. Yup. They’re toxins that seep into  the skin. 

Alternatively, sunscreen containing zinc oxide as the active ingredient is definitely better, in terms of negative impact. This is the sunscreen that may leave your skin a bit white for the first hour. But for long term use is safer. 

While we’re on the subject, most people don’t realize that the chemical sunscreen ingredients are in a lot of everyday ‘skin care’ products. You may be using sunscreen without even knowing it! Skin is the body’s largest organ and deserves to be free of toxic chemicals. Always be aware of what you’re putting on your skin. It’s a sensitive and a semi-permeable membrane, meaning that stuff can get both in and out. 

Really your best sunscreen is simple shade or a hat that shades your neck and face. When you’re at the beach and you want to take a dip in the water, jump in, get your sun exposure, then hit the shade again. Note - if there is no option for simple sun protection, then using sunscreen, I feel, is better than getting totally scorched. At the same time, an occasional sunburn isn’t something to fret about. But if the sunscreen is handy, personally, I would use it. (Hopefully the one with zinc!)

But, wait…while we’re on the topic vitamin D deficiency has become a serious health issue due partly to overuse of sunscreen. 

Now of course you don’t want to get sunburned on a frequent basis, but consider this: essential vitamin D neglected by frequent use of sunscreen (the 'foe-factor'), is certainly a problem.

We will dive into the solution in the next article.