I hope you wear sunscreen year round, but we really need to up our sunscreen game in the summer months. There is so much info floating around that it can be tricky to figure out what is good and what’s not so good when it comes to protecting our skin. The information surrounding how to choose a safe sunscreen can be misleading, confusing or just plain incorrect. But don’t worry! I’ve done all the work for you and have outlined everything you need to know.
Here are my top 5 tips for how to choose a safe sunscreen that will keep you and your family protected without potentially compromising heath.
- Choose a physical blocker:
Look for non-Nano Zinc as a top ingredient. Avoid ingredients that end in “-enzone” like Avobenzone (skin irritant) and Oxybenzone. In some lab test, Oxybenzone has been shown to mimic estrogen. Another one of those hormone disrupting ingredients we are slathering on our skin.
- No Nano-Particles:
Nano-particles are molecules tiny enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream and we don’t want that. Look for Non-Nano Zinc. Formulas without nano- particles will sit on top of the skin.
- Broad Spectrum Protection:
You need UVA/UVB. UVB rays are the sun’s burning rays. UVA are the primary cause of sunburn and skin cancer. Additionally, UVA rays are responsible for aging of the skin since they can penetrate the layers of skin and damage cells.
- Be cautious with sprays:
There are some great safer sprays out there (two mentioned below) . Sprays tend to rate higher on EWG. The reason is the concern of inhalation. Regardless of how safe the formulation is, you shouldn’t breathe it in. I know we’ve all see the parents chasing their kids with sunscreen only to engulf them in a dense cloud of sunscreen once they catch them. Don’t be this person! And don’t forget you do need to rub it in, not just a wild spray and hope it covered.
- Avoid Unnecessary Fragrance:
Check the label. There may be a scent from the ingredients but not the word “Fragrance” listed. Scent is different than fragrance. Fragrance tends to be the place products hide all of the nasty ingredients they don’t want listed on the label.
I urge you to reach out to me with questions or check the EWG Guide to Sunscreen. I’ve tried many brands and the biggest complaint I hear is that the safer sunscreens are too heavy and white. Babo Botanicals (spray) is fairly light and we use on our bodies. Beautycounter has an amazing stick we use on faces and it leaves no white residue. Goddess Garden is good for bodies also but its fairly white. The littlest ones don’t mind but I find as the kids get older, it bothers them.
Sun care and skin protection is something I am very passionate about. Sunscreen should not be your main defense against the sun. Stay out of the sun, wear a hat, protective clothing, and use sunscreen when you need to. The Skin Cancer Foundation notes that on average, five sunburns at any age doubles one’s risk for melanoma. I can’t tell you how many sunburns I had when I was younger, some very serious. I ended up with Melanoma at age 27.
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4 Comments
This is great! 🙂
Yes! I have been trying to avoid fragrance for years. It’s so gross! Thanks for helping spread the word.
Thanks for sharing. I burn so easily and always struggle with finding the right sunscreen.
This is such an important topic! I actually just focused on The same thing, thanks for sharing.