What's Wrong With Most Sunscreens?

This Fl gal is soooo happy that the warm weather is finally here. The pool is back open and the sun is-a-shining! I love me some glowing skin and Vitamin D. And the very best — and cheapest – way to get this crucial vitamin, is directly from the sun.

A few things to know….

#1 Your skin absorbs EVERY toxin that you put on it because it goes directly into your bloodstream. In fact, the human body absorbs toxins more quickly through the skin than when it does from food or drink. Sadly, most sunscreens on store shelves are extremely toxic and are far, far from protective!

Conventional sunscreen is loaded with chemicals, including parabens, well-established carcinogens, and oxybenzone – which is an endocrine disruptor. 

#2 UVA rays are what actually cause cancer, and 95% of all sunscreens don’t filter UVA!! However, UVB is what allows our bodies to make Vitamin D, and ironically, of ALL THE THINGS the typical over-the-counter sunscreens end up filtering is the UVB!  So, wearing any sunscreen blocks your body’s ability to produce Vitamin D — which is absolutely crucial for hundreds of reactions in the human body, including the protection against cancer.

Chemical Sunscreen Ingredients to Avoid

First, I encourage you to keep doing your research as more and more studies are being done and new information coming up. I’m just sharing with you what I have learned in my own research. A great place to get started is on www.EWG.org

Second, do your best to choose sunscreens that use only mineral ingredients. However, if you are like me and do not want to look like you were painted white – there are entirely clear sunscreen available. One more thing – you should also know that not all chemical sunscreens are equally bad. Here is a run-down of most common:

⚠️ Avobenzone is considered okay and the best of chemical sunscreen options. If you choose to use a chemical sunscreen, choose one with avobenzone as the primary active ingredient.

⚠️Octisalate and octocrylene are also both considered okay, without major health concerns, but slightly worse than avobenzone.

❌ Oxybenzone is a really bad ingredient; it causes cellular damage and endocrine disruption. According to research done by EWG, 30% of the products they looked into had Oxybenzone in them (CLICK HERE to learn more). Because of people raising their voices, Coppertone is now free of this nasty chemical. 

❌Homosalate is also very considered very bad. The European Commission proposes a concentration limit of 1.4 percent for homosalate. U.S. sunscreens are currently allowed to have up to 15% homosalate. 

ALBA Botanica’s Kid’s Sunscreen SPF 50 has 14.7% Homosalate. Avoid any sunscreen products that have this chemical in them. 

According to studies published by the FDA, ALL of these ingredients are absorbed into the body after one use, and can still be detected in the blood weeks after their use. CLICK HERE to learn more.

If you are looking for sunscreen recommendations, be sure to check out my blog post, “My Favorite Clean, Non-Toxic Sunscreens For 2022!”

I’d love to know what brand of non-toxic sunscreen you and your family use — and LOVE! Please share by commenting below.