The ongoing debate...especially for fair-skinned lassie's like me!
The sun just seems to burn brighter and stronger every year.....it's a sad fact that I get pink from just 15 minutes outdoors without sun protection, even on grey days.
Information about sunscreen has been controversial. Sunscreen may contain both UVA and/or UVB blockers and UVA and/or UVB abosrbers to protect us from the sun's powerful rays. Many of the blockers and absorbers have been shown to be detrimental to heath. Vitamin A in particular. often listed as retinyl palmitate, has been linked to cancer and increased rates of skin lesion growth. On top of that, many sunscreens protect from sunburn (UVB rays) but fail to adequately protect from the damaging effects of UVA rays. A few children's sunscreens are particularly guilty in this respect. Boo!
My friend, A, recently passed along an amazing website from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). This website ranks sunscreens of 2010, based on toxicity and effectiveness. They clearly explain why a sunscreen is rated in a particular way and the results are surprising! Check out the link to rate YOUR sunscreen! Click Here.
Unfortunately, most sunscreens do not earn a green rating.
From the EWG:
"EWG's fourth annual Sunscreen Guide gives low marks to the current crop of sunscreen products, with a few notable exceptions. EWG researchers recommend only a small fraction of more than 500 beach and sport sunscreens and sunblocks for this season.
The reason? A surge in exaggerated SPF claims above 50 and new disclosures about potentially hazardous ingredients, in particular recently developed government data linking vitamin A to accelerated growth of skin tumors and lesions."
Thankfully, there are a few decent sunscreens on the market. We use both Alba and Badger sunscreens which have both gotten the "recommended" rating...though my husband cringes at the prices....
On top of that, it's important to remember that shade, protective clothing/hats and timing are all equally important factors when it comes to sun protection.
Oh yeah, and don't block out the sun completely! Early morning or late afternoon sun is really important for vitamin D levels. In Canada, we only get a few months of really good, strong sunshine and we need it! Make sure both you, and your children, are getting at least 10 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, at the right time, to prevent vitamin D deficiency!
hey jilly! nice post....the ingredients in badger are much better. and you can order directly from purity!
ReplyDeleteI've been told that Avobenzone (also known as parsol 1789) is a good ingredient to look for...at least as far as burn protection is concerned. It helps to absorb more of the UVA spectrum. See you soon! Hopefully with some beach time and lots of sunscreen!
ReplyDeleteFantastic information to know! Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this information...this is probably one of the most frustrating issues right now....schools and daycare require sunscreen and I'm not a big believer in it, so I tried a compromise where they go outside for morning recess without it, only 15 mins, and can have half an hour at lunch without it before they put it on...won't go for it ! But I'm also not ignoring the warnings either...Dad was diagnosed with skin cancer last year and had to have surgery to remove the affected area from his face...so not really wanting to play around with it either....I will have fun with the website you posted ! Thank you ! I'm also investigatin an all natural sunscreen from porcupine creek farms...haven't tried it yet, just reading about it and it's ingredients...I'd love to hear your thoughts on it ! The ingredients are cocoa butter*, shea butter*, mango butter, zinc oxide, calendula* infused olive oil*, jojoba oil, beeswax, vitamin E oil, Egyptian geranium essential oil (*organic).
ReplyDeleteIt is said to have an SPF of 30. Any thoughts?
Tammy
@Tammy: The sunscreen from Porcupine creek farms sounds good! Badger Sunscreen also uses zinc oxide as the main sun protective ingredient. Zinc Oxide is used as the active ingredient in their sunscreens because it provides a physical barrier, reflecting damaging UVB and UVA rays before they reach the tissues in your skin. Mineral sunscreens, like zinc oxide, are more effective and potentially much safer than chemical sunscreens....that's the whole blocker vs. aborber thing I was talking about. The size of the zinc particles should be approximantely 140nmol for optimal protection.
ReplyDeleteSPF only refers to protection from burns (UVB) and many high SPF sunscreens do not protect from the very damaging UVA rays. Zinc oxide protects from both!
@Rachel: Yeah we prefer the Badger too (it's rated better than the Alba) but it's sooo expensive:) I have to start ordering from Purity more often! I should really sell it at the clinic!
@Carla: never heard of it! Will look into it!
Thanks for all the feedback:)
XO
J
Great post, Jill! Thanks so much. I've passed this info on to a few other new moms.
ReplyDeleteAshley