I don’t know how about you, but I am really looking forward to some sunshine now☀️…
Sun is essential to produce vitamin D and we need at least 10-30 min of direct sunlight every day without sun screen or protection.
However, getting too much sun exposure can cause serious health problems.
UV radiation is the strongest promoter of premature ageing process of our skin, increasing risk of skin cancer.
The beauty industry provides us with solutions – sun screens – but unfortunately the use of certain chemicals in sun screens has raised concerns, with studies linking them to allergic reactions, hormone disruption and even cancer.
So, what sunscreen should you choose? Let’s have a quick look.
Regular (chemical) or mineral sunscreen?
Chemical sunscreens use man-made chemicals to reduce sun damage by absorbing UV rays.
What is the problem with chemical sunscreens? They can often cause allergic reactions and may have carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting effects (look out the label for benzene, avobenzone, oxybenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, retinyl palmitate etc).
Physical sunscreens use natural mineral elements to block UV rays, so they never penetrate your skin in the first place.
They are safer options and the 2 best-known minerals are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
Zinc oxide has been shown to be the best at blocking both UVA and UVB rays providing “broad-spectrum” cover, and it is the only safe sunscreen for babies.
Spray or squeeze?
Spray-on sunscreens may give you a too thin layer, especially if applied in a light breeze, and may not be effective. In addition, some of the chemicals in the spray-on might be inhaled during application and cause health problems.
What about SPF?
The thing is, SPF only refers to UVB rays, because they are responsible for sunburn.
But the UVA rays are even more dangerous, as they penetrate the skin more deeply and are linked to skin cancer.
So, you might not get burnt so easily with SPF50 vs SPF15, but the damaging UVA effect will still be there, unless you are using a broad-spectrum UVA and UVB sunscreen (zinc oxide mineral sunscreen).
In general,
sun screen should be a back-up plan and make sure you time your outdoor activities, looking for shade when you can, wearing protective clothing.
And last but not least…
Believe it or not, your diet can have a significant impact on the health of your skin!
Eating foods high in anti-oxidants can also protect your skin from sun damage.
So, make sure you have these top anti-oxidant rich foods in your diet
-grapes and grape seeds
-garlic and onions
-pomegranate
-green tea
-ginger
-turmeric
-dark green leafy vegetables.
I hope you are feeling more confident now how to protect your skin and what to look for and avoid in your sunscreen?
If you’d like to learn more, check out EWG’s Annual Guide to Sunscreen