Sunscreen Round Up
Although getting your Vitamin D from the sun is an important and necessary habit for all of us, if you are going to be out in the blazing Arizona sun all day, at some point you may need to apply some sunscreen. This can be a tricky endeavor because many sunscreens contain potentially hazardous chemicals. Since our skin is our biggest organ we need to be careful about the potential toxic ingredients that we slather on it with sunscreens and lotions. Thankfully, there are companies that make a safer sunscreens.
The Environmental Working Group website, (www.EWG.org) is the best place to search for clean sunscreens. The good news is that there are many companies that do make cleaner sunscreens. However, some of them may not absorb well, leaving a white residue on your skin. We have some favorites listed at the end of the blog.
Ingredients to avoid in sunscreens:
Synthetic Vitamin A or Retinyl Palmitate: accelerates sun damage by forming free radicals.
Oxybenzone, Octisalate, Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octocrylene, and Octinoxate: are potential allergens and hormone disruptors
Fragrance or Parfum: these are a nondescript mixture of scent chemicals used as fragrance dispersants (such as diethyl phthalate). The biggest concern with fragrance is that they are endocrine disruptors that may effect hormones and reproductive health. They have also been associated with allergies, dermatitis and respiratory distress.
Ingredients to look for in sunscreens:
Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide: these are minerals that act as a barrier from UVA and UVB rays
Nourish Natural Medical Center’s top 5 favorite sunscreens
1. 100% Pure Yerba Mate Mist SPF 30. This is great because it is a spray and not a lotion, is water resistant and absorbs very well. FYI, this is a newer product and is not on EWG’s website, but all the ingredients in the sunscreen range from a 1-3 out of 10.
2. Alba Botanica Very Emollient Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Fragrance Free. This absorbs well and has no odor. It is rated a 2 out of 10 on the EWG’s website.
3. MyChelle Sun Shield SPF 28. This absorbs nicely and has no odor and is rated a 2 out of 10.
4. Badger Sunscreen SPF 30. It absorbs ok, there is a faint white residue after being in the water, and has a mild scent. It is rated a 1 out of 10.
5. Badger Sunscreen SPF 15. This one absorbs much better than the 30 and does not develop a white residue after being in the water.
