Taking Better Care of Yourself and the Environment - Sunscreen Edition

Since it’s summer and most of us find ourselves spending more time outdoors and using more sunscreen, I thought this was a really important topic. Certain sunscreens are very harmful to our health and the health of our planet. I thought I was doing pretty good in the natural products department and then I started looking into sunscreen more deeply and it's not pretty.

There are two types of sunscreens: chemical and mineral. Mineral sunscreens form a physical barrier on the skin that helps reflect UV rays. The two mineral sunscreens are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Chemical sunscreens penetrate the skin and absorb UV rays. Some of the common chemical sunscreens are oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocyrlene, avobenzone, and homosalate.

Based on the research I've done, I do not think any chemical sunscreen is considered "safe" for us or for the environment. The FDA recently did a clinical trial of six chemical sunscreens and concentrations of the active ingredients increased in the bloodstream after each day of application. "All of the ingredients remained above the FDA safety threshold on day seven, and two of the ingredients, homosalate and oxybenzone, remained above the threshold on day 21." (WSJ)

Oxybenzone is one of the worst chemical offenders. It is an endocrine disruptor that can interfere with your body's normal hormone production, and it is highly toxic to our oceans. In 2015, it was estimated that over 14,000 tons of sunscreen collect in the world's reefs each year and that number is likely higher now. Oxybenzone increases the rate of coral bleaching and allows coral bleaching to occur at temperatures it otherwise wouldn't. Global warming is not the sole driver of coral bleaching - ocean pollution plays a huge part and chemical sunscreens are one of the greatest contributors. Oxybenzone has a toxic effect on coral at a concentration of one drop in 6 and a half Olympic-size swimming pools.

We’re unfortunately seeing coral reefs disappear right before our eyes. Places I used to snorkel as a kid in Hawaii that were teeming with life are now largely lifeless.

The gold standard of sunscreen for human and environmental health is non-nano zinc oxide. Zinc oxide is a broad-spectrum blocker which means it reflects both UVA and UVB rays. The other mineral sunscreen, titanium dioxide is not very effective against UVA rays. Nano zinc oxide is certainly a better option than chemical sunscreens, but the extremely small size of the nano particles could be toxic to sensitive ocean organisms. Unfortunately, this means that good sunscreen is going to be on the thicker side and likely leave a bit of a white cast.

One of the best sunscreens I've found is Raw Elements. It is a non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen, and it comes in a metal container so there is no plastic waste. I use it on my chest and face when I'm going to the beach. It wears well under a tinted moisturizer for the beach, but I think it's too heavy for daily wear especially under makeup. I really like the Suntegrity Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer or Juice Beauty’s SPF 30 Oil-Free Moisturizer for daily use under makeup. I personally use Suntegrity. Some other good brands to look into are: Babo Botanicals, ThinkSport, Badger, and Goddess Garden. The EWG’s product search is a great resource to check the safety of other sunscreens (and all personal care products).

I know it's much more convenient to quickly spray a clear sunscreen all over yourself, but you are doing yourself and our planet a big favor by taking the extra time to use a safe sunscreen.