Let’s face it; if you’re a surfer, swimmer, or an all around ocean lover, sunscreen is essential to avoid a sunburn! Sun protection is important to reduce your risk of ultraviolet exposure, it prevents skin cancer, sun damage and aging. Yet not all sunscreen is created equal! While some sun exposure is important for our bodies to produce Vitamin D, less is not more in this case.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), in a study of 880 sunscreen products more than 75% contained red-flag ingredients, such as oxybenzone or retinyl palmitate. That means it’s up to consumers like you and I to educate ourselves!
Chemicals to avoid in sunscreen.
- Oxybenzone is one of the most common chemicals found in sunscreen. While Oxybenzone does absorb UV light, it is also absorbed in the skin and unfortunately can stay in our bodies for a long time. Oybenzone has been linked to hormone disruption causing endometriosis and is a risk to the reproductive system. In addition, it has the potential to damage cells, leading to skin cancer (wait isn’t that why we use sunscreen to begin with?). The EWG rates Oxybenzone an 8 on their toxicity scale, meaning it’s one of the MOST toxic chemicals found in skincare products. Avoid this chemical in your sunscreen at all costs!
- Vitamin A (also called retinyl palmitate or retinol). While eating a diet rich in vitamin A is essential, putting it on your skin can be very harmful. The EWG reports that tumors or lesions can develop sooner on skin coated with vitamin A. Avoid any products with vitamin A, retinyl palmitate or retinol in the ingredients.
- Octinoxate is a UV-B filter used in sunscreens because it dissolves easily in oils. However, Octinoxate has been linked to endocrine disruption and reproductive issues.
- Homosalate absorbs UV light to prevent skin exposure, but it is also linked to hormone disruption and can increase the absorption of pesticides, including bug sprays.
In addition to these chemicals being extremely harmful to you, they also damage our coral reefs! Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and Homosalate are all banned ingredients in Hawaii’s sunscreens because they don’t break down easily and harm the reefs and wildlife.
When choosing a sunscreen avoid aerosol sprays and stick with creams. Sprays can cloud the air with tiny particles that may be harmful to inhale, and sunscreen creams generally cover your body better. Also choose a sunscreen that is fragrance free to avoid any more unnecessary added chemicals or allergens.
My sunscreen picks!
My all time favorite sunscreen is Badger Active Mineral Sunscreen! Here are the pros: it only has 5 INGREDIENTS (woohoo), it’s organic and non-GMO, doesn’t damage the reef, water resistant, and it works great! The only downside is it makes your face slightly white, but that’s because of the active ingredient zinc, and it doesn’t have the chemicals in it to make it smooth into your skin. I’ll take the white face over the chemicals any day!
Another popular sunscreen you can find at any drug store that doesn’t have any of the bad chemicals listed above is Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Sunscreen. This one is great for a long day at the beach. However, as is with all sunscreens, make sure to re-apply every hour or two so that you don’t get burnt.
In addition, if you already have a preferred sunscreen, check out the ingredients and chemicals it contains by using the search bar at The Environmental Working Group. It will give you an overall score of the sunscreen, a rating, and list in detail the ingredients and if they are harmful to you.
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