Summer is here and you know what that means, it’s time to talk about sun protection! While it is super important to be applying sunscreen year round, UVB rays, which damage our skin and give us sunburns, are the strongest in the Spring and Summer seasons.
Sunscreen is meant to filter out UVA and UVB rays, and does so using both chemicals and minerals. Researchers have recently learned that the chemicals in sunscreen can absorb into your skin and into your bloodstream and have been found on the skin and bloodstream weeks after the product was applied. Furthermore, these chemicals have been known to be hormone disruptors, and can cause negative changes to progesterone, testosterone, estrogen adnd thyroid hormones.
Instead of using a chemical based sunscreen, opt for a mineral sunscreen with either Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide as the main ingredient.
Here are some sunscreen options rated the best by EWG:
- Maui Natural Organics All Natural Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
- 365 Everyday Value Sport Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
- C’est Moi GENTLE Mineral Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
- Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream Lotion, Fair/Light, SPF 35
- Love Sun Body Glow Natural Tinted Mineral Sunscreen & Moisturizer Lotion, Cocoa, SPF 30
The EWB even recommends that sunscreen should be the last type of sun protection you opt for. Before you do so, try staying in the shade (or creating your own), wearing sunglasses, wearing clothes, and go outside in the early morning or late afternoons (when the sun is lower in the sky).
Want to do some of your own research? Check out these great sites that will tell you all about the ingredients in your beauty products and sunscreen.
EWG – Sunscreen ratings by over 1,800 scientists
CosDNA – A website that rates your sunscreen and makeup products
ThinkDirty – A phone app that tells you the ingredients and ratings of your sunscreen and beauty products after scan the barcode
