Sunscreens are toxic

Getting a little sunshine is important for helping our bodies generate Vitamin D, an important supplement for strong bones, and for regulating our levels of serotonin and tryptamine, neurotransmitters that keep our moods and sleep/wake cycles in order. Like anything, though, too much sun can cause health issues, from sunburns to skin cancer. For those of us spend more time in the sun than doctors recommend—they say to stay indoors between 11 AM and 3 PM on sunny days to be safe—sunscreens can be lifesavers.

Getting too much sun is bad because of ultraviolet radiation, 90 percent of which comes in the form of Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays that are not absorbed by the ozone layer and penetrate deep into our skin. Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays make up the rest. These rays are partially absorbed by the ozone layer (which makes preserving the ozone layer crucial for our health), and because they don’t penetrate our skin as deeply, can cause those lobster-red sunburns. Both types of UV rays are thought to cause skin cancer.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) just published their 2018 guide to safe sunscreens. They reviewed over 2000 sunscreens and over 257 brands. They found more than 75% of the sunscreens contained toxic chemicals that can increase your risk of cancer and other health issues.

Spray sun screens are popular, especially for use on children. But safety experts are particularly concerned about the possibility that people might accidentally breathe in the ingredients, a risk that’s greatest in children, who—as any parent knows—are more likely to squirm around when they’re being sprayed.

The Dangers of Conventional Sunscreens

According to research from the EWG, the report shows that some sunscreen ingredients absorb into the blood, and some have toxic effects. Some release skin-damaging free radicals in sunlight, some act like estrogen and disrupt hormones, and several can cause allergic reactions and skin irritation. The FDA has not established rigorous safety standards for sunscreen ingredients. Sunscreens haven’t been regulated since 1978 in the USA, and the SPF factor only tells you how effective a sunscreen is against UVB rays which cause sunburn.

So in review, some ingredients may

Absorb into the blood

Release free radicals in sunlight

Act like estrogen

Disrupt hormones

Cause allergic reactions

Cause skin irritation

Have no rigorous safety standards

A recent study published in Environmental Science Technology has also shown the common sunscreen ingredients oxybenzone, methoxycinnamate, and PABA are estrogenic chemicals linked to cancer. That’s right, I read the labels on not only my food products, but on anything I’m putting on or near my body, and you should too. If your sunscreen contains any of these chemicals I’d throw it away right now!

List of Unsafe, Toxic Chemicals in Sunscreen

Para amino benzoic acid

Octyl salicyclate

Oxybenzone

Cinoxate

Dioxybenzone

Phenylbenzimidazole

Homosalate

Menthyl anthranilate

Octocrylene

Methoxycinnamate

Parabens

Stay away from these chemicals and use the natural sunscreens I recommend at the end of the article.

The Sun Doesn’t Cause Cancer

In truth, the sun is essential for your health. Think about it. Without the sun, most plants couldn’t grow and we would perish from a lack of Vitamin D3.

Of course, you can have too much of a good thing. I don’t recommend letting your skin burn, and this is a common point people miss. Getting a moderate amount of sunshine daily can actually help decrease your risk of certain types of cancers.

The Sun is your best source of Vitamin D3.

When you get approximately 20 minutes of direct sunlight, your body naturally generates enough Vitamin D3 (Calciferol), and you body also knows the right amount to generate without overdose.

Vitamin D3 has been one of the most researched nutrients over the past 5 years and it has been shown to naturally help boost the immune system, help fight cancer and improve mood.

There are two types of sunscreens: non-mineral and mineral. And some that combine both.

Non-mineral sunscreens penetrate the skin, are potentially disruptive to hormones, are allergenic, and like I mentioned earlier, can release free radicals when they break down. Oxybenzone is the most common ingredient found in sunscreens. Scientists recommend not using sunscreens containing oxybenzone on children because of this hormone disruption.

Mineral sunscreens are ones containing zinc, or titanium. These do not breakdown in sunlight, are not usually absorbed ( so do not disrupt the body’s hormones), are not allergenic and are more effective at blocking UVA rays than non-minerals. These sunscreens are a good choice for children and according to EWG have the best safety profiles of the choices in the United States.

Chemical sunscreen, on the other hand, contains synthetic ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are absorbed into the skin to filter and absorb UV rays, effectively protecting deeper layers of skin. Because it is absorbed, chemical sunscreen can lead to skin irritation and other adverse reactions. Plus, the ingredients can generate cell-damaging free radicals when exposed to the sun.

To reap the benefits of sunscreen and sidestep the potential side effects, avoid these dubious ingredients before slathering up this summer:

6 SCARY SUNSCREEN INGREDIENTS

Oxybenzone This penetration enhancer (i.e., chemical that helps other chemicals penetrate the skin) undergoes a chemical reaction when exposed to UV rays. When oxybenzone is absorbed by your skin, it can cause an eczema-like allergic reaction that can spread beyond the exposed area and last long after you're out of the sun. Experts also suspect that oxybenzone disrupts hormones (i.e., mimics, blocks, and alters hormone levels) which can throw off your endocrine system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 97 percent of Americans have this chemical circulating in our bodies, as it can accumulate more quickly than our bodies can get rid of it.

Octinoxate One of the most common ingredients found in sunscreens with SPF, octinoxate is readily absorbed by our skin and helps other ingredients to be absorbed more readily. While allergic reactions from octinoxate aren't common, hormone disruption is: the chemical's effects on estrogen can be harmful for humans and wildlife, too, should they come into contact with the chemical once it gets into water. Though SPF products are designed to protect skin from sun-induced aging, octinoxate may actually be a culprit for premature aging, as it produces menacing free radicals that can damage skin and cells.

Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate) Just like the vitamin A we eat, retinyl palmitate is an antioxidant. As an ingredient in sunscreen, it's function is to improve the product's performance against the aging effects of UV exposure, However, certain forms of vitamin A found in sun protection products—namely retinyl palmitate, a combination of retinol (vitamin A) and palmitic acid, an ingredient found in tropical plants such as palm and coconut—can be cause for concern. When exposed to the sun's UV rays, retinol compounds break down and produce destructive free radicals that are toxic to cells, damage DNA, and may lead to cancer. In fact, FDA studies have shown that retinyl palimitate may speed the development of malignant cells and skin tumors when applied to skin before sun exposure, so steer clear of skin sun products that harbor the stuff.

Homosalate This UV-absorbing sunscreen ingredient helps sunscreen to penetrate your skin. Once the ingredient has been absorbed, homosalate accumulates in our bodies faster than we can get rid of it, becomes toxic and disrupts our hormones.

Octocrylene When this chemical is exposed to UV light, it absorbs the rays and produces oxygen radicals that can damage cells and cause mutations. It is readily absorbed by your skin and may accumulate within your body in measurable amounts. Plus, it can be toxic to the environment.

Paraben Preservatives Associated with both acute and chronic side effects, parabens (butyl-, ethyl-, methyl-, and propyl-) can induce allergic reactions, hormone disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity. While butylparaben was reported to be non-carcinogenic in rats and mice, but it has been previously suspected that parabens and other chemicals in underarm cosmetics may contribute to the rising incidence of breast cancer.

SAFE SPF PRODUCTS

Scoop up these SPF products that are safe to slather (or brush) on

GHK-Cu May

Prevent Oxidative

Stress in Skin

by Regulating Copper and

Modifying

Expression of

Numerous Antioxidant

Genes

Cosmetics

(2015)

GHK Peptide

as a Natural

Modulator of

Multiple Cellular

Pathways in

Skin Regeneration

(2015)

GHK, the Human

Skin Remodeling

Peptide Induces

Anti-Cancer

Expression and

DNA Repair

Analytical Oncology

(2014)

GHK and DNA:

Resetting

the Human

Genome to Health

BioMed Research

International

(2014)

Reverse Skin Aging Book by Dr Loren Pickart

Loren Pickart Skin Biology Facebook

Avoid Buying Fake Copper Peptides Dangerous

Beware of Toxic Sunscreens

You might be tempted to reach for any old bottle of sunscreen on the grocery store shelf to protect yourself from the sun.

DON’T

Chemical sunscreens contain oily chemicals that strongly absorb the energy in light photons and can cause more harm than good.

Sunscreen Types

Sunscreens are designed to protect against sunburn (UVB rays) and generally provide little protection against UVA rays. They come in two forms:

CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS prevent sunburn by absorbing the ultraviolet (UVB) rays but may increase your risk of cancers of the breast, ovaries, prostate, and colon. Chemicals such as avobenzone, benzophenone, ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnimate, 2-ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, octyl methoxycinnamate, oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) are used as the active ingredients.

PHYSICAL SUNSCREENS contain inert minerals such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or talc and work by reflecting the ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) and visible rays away from the skin.

Recommended and Not Recommendedwoman in the sun

Sunscreens are designed to protect against sunburn (UVB rays) and generally provide little protection against UVA rays. They come in two forms:

CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS prevent sunburn by absorbing the ultraviolet (UVB) rays but may increase your risk of cancers of the breast, ovaries, prostate, and colon. Chemicals such as avobenzone, benzophenone, ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnimate, 2-ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, octyl methoxycinnamate, oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) are used as the active ingredients.

PHYSICAL SUNSCREENS contain inert minerals such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or talc and work by reflecting the ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) and visible rays away from the skin.

Recommended Sunscreens

Use Non-Encapsulated Reflective Physical Sunscreens

Physical reflective sunblockers contain inert minerals such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, red petrolatum, or talc and work by reflecting the ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) rays away from the skin. They come in two forms - pure sunblocker and various micronized or encapsulated versions.

The best overall reflective sunblocker, at least in theory, is pure titanium dioxide.

Zinc oxide has somewhat better UVA and UVB blocking but also can generate free ionic zinc ions on the skin.

Some women think zinc oxide increases facial pore size.

One problem with titanium dioxide is that it is whiter than zinc oxide and more difficult to formulate as a transparent products.

Thus you may prefer zinc oxide products. Pure sunblockers tend to give a pasty look to the skin.

This is the reason for the popularity of micronized sunblockers which give a better cosmetic appearance on the skin.

Avoid Micronized or Siliconized Physical Sunscreens

Prof. Nicholas Lowe (Dermatology, UCLA) has reported that micronized or encapsulated physical sunblockers such as titanium dioxide penetrate into the skin while pure titanium dioxide remains on the skin's surface - where you really want it to stay.

Micronized minerals are usually used as 'micronized' particles in the size range of 20-50 microns.

But these particles are small in comparison with the wavelength of the ultraviolet and visible light and are virtually invisible and do not effectively scatter of reflect light.

Pure, non-micronized, and often pasty, minerals are better reflectors of ultraviolet light.

Not Recommended - Free Radical Generators & Estrogenic Chemicals

Chemical sunscreens act by strongly absorbing ultraviolet light in the UVB range (290 to 320 nm).

They cannot reflect light. The UVB range is the range that is primarily responsible for sunburning and causing skin cancer.

The UVA range (320 to 400 nm) is responsible for suntanning and photosensitivity reactions (increased sensitivity to sunlight as the result of certain medications, cosmetics, soaps, or plants). UVA is also responsible for serious skin damage.

Such types of chemical sunscreens are potent generators of free radicals and many have strong estrogenic, "gender bending", activities and may increase your cancer risk for cancers of the breast, ovaries, prostate, and colon (see more below).

PABA and PABA esters are rarely used today because of allergic problems.

Chemical Sunscreens Include:

Benzophenones (dixoybenzone, oxybenzone)

PABA and PABA esters (ethyl dihydroxy propyl PAB, glyceryl PABA, p-aminobenzoic acid, padimate-O or octyl dimethyl PABA)

Cinnamates (cinoxate, ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, octyl methoxycinnamate)

Salicylates (ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, octyl salicylate)

Digalloyl trioleate

Menthyl anthranilate

Avobenzone [butyl-methyoxydibenzoylmethane; Parsol 1789] - This is the only chemical sunscreen currently allowed by the European Community. However, its safety is still questionable since it easily penetrate the skin and is a strong free radical generator.

Effectiveness and Safety of Various Sunscreens and Sunblockers

Sunblocker or Sunscreen Sunscreen chemicals

UV protective properties Good but partial spectrum

UV blocking properties Absorbs photons

Free radical generating ability High

Ability to penetrate skin barrier High

Relative danger High

Sunblocker or Sunscreen Titanium Dioxide

UV protective properties Very broad spectrum

UV blocking properties Mainly reflects and scatters photons, some photon absorption

Free radical generating ability Low

Ability to penetrate skin barrier Virtually none

Relative danger Very low - the safest known

Sunblocker or Sunscreen Zinc Oxide

UV protective properties Broadest spectrum

UV blocking properties Mainly reflects and scatters photons, some photon absorption

Free radical generating ability Low

Ability to penetrate skin barrier Virtually none

Relative danger May generate zinc ions that decrease skin repair

Sunblocker or Sunscreen Micronized or siliconized titanium dioxide or zinc oxide

UV protective properties Broad spectrum

UV blocking properties Mainly reflects and scatters photons, some photon absorption

Free radical generating ability Low

Ability to penetrate skin barrier Low but significant

Relative danger Moderate

Actions Steps

1. Get 20+ minutes of sunshine daily

2. Cover up with light clothing before you get burnt

3. Wear natural sunscreen if you’re going to stay out for a long period of time

4. Eat a diet high in anti-oxidants to protect your skin

5. If you get burnt, use a mixture of aloe, coconut oil and vitamin E on your skin

#toxicsunscreen #naturalsunscreen #ecoaudit #greenconsultant #coconutoil #alvoevera #suncreeen #sunburn #GreenYourLife