Simple Guide to Clean, Non-Toxic Sunscreen
Did you know that most sunscreens contain chemicals that act as hormone disruptors and cause all sorts of health issues. I’m here to help you find the best non-toxic, natural sunscreen for your family. Whether you're looking for SPF for babies, facial care or just a day in the sun, read on for recommendations for the best products.
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If you prefer lotion, stick or spray or have dry, oily or combination skin there is a sunscreen for you.
I know it is frustrating trying to weed your way through the many sunscreen choices. It can be easy to give up and just grab whatever you see in the store.
But let me make it easy to keep your family safe while enjoying the sun!
Read on to discover:
What chemicals to avoid
What ingredients to look for
Why high SPF is misleading
Does Europe have better sunscreens?
Best sunscreens available
What Chemicals to Avoid
Let’s get right to it. The main ingredient to avoid is oxybenzone.
It acts as a hormone disruptor, can cause allergic skin reactions, and may increase the risk of breast cancer and endometriosis. It is worrisome if used on children because it can cause lowered testosterone levels in boys. If used during pregnancy it can cause abnormal birth weights.
Be on the lookout for twelve other ingredients that may be considered unsafe: avobenzone, cinoxate, dioxybenzone, ensulizole, homosalate, meradimate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, padimate O, and sulisobenzone.
This is because these ingredients can be absorbed through the skin after just one use and pose serious health concerns. Studies have shown that these chemicals can be detected in the blood and on the skin weeks after using the product. There is also risk if these chemicals are inhaled when using spray sunscreen.
But there is so much more to it than this….
What Ingredients to Look For
Only 2 active ingredients are to be considered safe to use in sunscreen. They are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
They provide strong sun protection, don’t break down in the sun and pose few health concerns.
But they still pose a risk if inhaled when using a powder or spray formula.
Also many of these use nanoparticles which pose a concern that they can be absorbed into the skin. More research is needed to fully understand nanoparticles and how they affect the cells and organs if they enter the body. So consider looking for non-nano on the label.
But here’s the catch….
There are only 2 approved UVA blockers: zinc oxide and avobenzone. So your sunscreen will likely have one or the other.
Many sunscreens use avobenzone which the FDA does not have enough health safety data to consider it safe and effective. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) classifies it as a 2 out of 10 which is considered a low hazard.
Fortunately organizations like EWG have done a lot of work for us by evaluating sunscreens for safety. They have established a rating scale ranging from 1-10 with 1 being the best and 10 being the least safe. This allows us to make better, informed choices.
Why High SPF is Misleading
Most people assume that a higher SPF offers better sun protection but that is often not the case.
Sunscreen should offer protection against UVA and UVB rays but an SPF rating only reflects the product’s UVB protection.
So what's the difference between UVB and UVA rays anyway?
UVB rays are responsible for sunburn. While UVA rays cause the skin to age, suppress the immune system and contribute to the development of skin cancer
In fact, a EWG study showed inadequate UVA protection in many U.S. sunscreens. This study tested 51 sunscreens and only 18 passed the UVA protection required of sunscreen sold in Europe. On average the UVA protection was only about ¼ of the labeled SPF.
UVB protection is also not what it seems. According to research, a lot of sunscreens only offer about ½ of the UVB protection that is advertised.
Sunscreens with SPF above 50 give consumers a false sense of security. You may feel like you have more protection than you actually do. Let’s break it down.
When you see a label with a high SPF, it actually does not offer the same level of UVA protection. So while you THINK you are being protected from the effects of UVA rays (such as suppression of the immune system, formation of harmful free radicals in skin, and development of melanoma) you are not being protected as much as you think you are.
The higher the SPF, the longer we think we can stay in the sun. But this just isn’t the case. Many times we stay in the sun for much longer without reapplying, especially if we are using- let’s say- an SPF 100.
Sun protection is only marginally better with SPF over 50. For example, you may feel that you get double the protection when choosing an SPF 100 over an SPF 50. BUT when properly applied, SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays while SPF 100 blocks 99% of UVB rays.
And higher SPF products require higher concentrations of sun-filtering chemicals. So you are getting more chemical exposure but not a significant increase in sun protection.
So choosing a product with a SPF 30-50 is ideal. But you have to reapply according to the label and take plenty of breaks from the sun.
Does Europe Have Better Sunscreens?
In the U.S., sunscreens are regulated as non-prescription drugs. So active ingredients must go through a similar review process as prescription drugs. This is a very slow process and no new ingredients have been approved since 1996.
In Europe, sunscreen is regulated as cosmetics so there are many more choices. In fact there are 34 UV filters approved for use in sunscreen compared to only 16 in the U.S.
Most sunscreens sold in the U.S. would not pass European standards for UVA protection. In countries regulated by the European Commission, manufacturers voluntarily comply with a recommendation that all sunscreens offer UVA protection at least 1/3 as strong as the SPF. So for example, a product advertises SPF 30, its UVA protection must be at least 10.
In the U.S. we only have two FDA-approved ingredients to offer protection against UVA rays: zinc oxide and avobenzone. Sunscreen manufacturers of products for the European market can pick and choose among seven ingredients that offer strong protection against UVA rays. Some of these appear to offer significant performance advantages over the sunscreen chemicals the FDA permits in products sold on the American market.
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What Sunscreens to Buy?
So I’m here to show you the highest rated sunscreens by the EWG that you can feel good about using.
And don’t panic if you run out of sunscreen while on vacation. If you find yourself with a very limited selection, you now have the knowledge to make the best available choice. Just read the label and see which contain zinc oxide as the active ingredient. And avoid oxybenzone . If you are short on time, grab the one that says “reef safe”. You know it will at least not contain oxybenzone. Also pick a lotion over a spray if you can.
You now have the knowledge to confidently read the labels and make the best decisions for your family.
Remember…don’t rely on sunscreen alone. Find shade and wear protective clothing. Avoid the hottest part of the day and wear sunglasses. Take breaks as much as possible.
References:
https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/
https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/nanoparticles-in-sunscreen/
https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/whats-wrong-with-high-spf/
https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/does-europe-have-better-sunscreens/
