Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Summer is Here!

     
     Today marks the official start of summer although it has felt like summer for about a month now.  In celebration of summer's official start and considering that today is the longest day of the year, I thought it appropriate to talk about my favorite sunscreen.  According to the Environmental Working Group, a group of scientists, lawyers and policy makers who work to investigate the health effects of a multitude of products we use, sunscreens contain chemicals that often do more harm than good to our bodies.  EWG's website has a ton of great information and a database that shows the toxicity of personal products.  I found the following information on their website, http://www.ewg.org/.

     "The most common ingredients in non-mineral sunscreens are oxybenzone, octisalate, octinoxate, and avobenzone found in 65, 58, 57, and 56 percent of all non-mineral sunscreens on the market, respectively" (EWG Sunscreens).

And a little more information about kids:

  • “It is evident that [oxybenzone] undergoes conjugation in the body to make it water soluble. However, we do not know at what age the ability to conjugate is fully developed, and therefore for children physical filters such as titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide might still be considered a more appropriate sunscreen component.” — Gonzalez HG, Farbrot A, Larko O. 2002. Percutaneous absorption of benzophenone-3, a common component of topical sunscreens. Clinical and Experimental Dermatology 27(8): 691-94.


  •      Research is still being done, but there is enough evidence out there for me to switch to a healthier sunscreen.  I have tried a few different "healthier" sunscreens and really like Aubrey Organics the best.  I tested it out in Belize and loved it!  Some of the other brands I had tried were really thick and difficult to apply.  The Aubrey Organics sunscreen went on easily and I didn't burn at all on our trip!  Also, I assumed that I would go through the whole bottle during the week because we tend to apply sunscreen a little generously, but I'm still using the same bottle and have plenty left. 
         They also make a face sunscreen which I apply on top of my moisturizer every day so that my face is always protected.  It's not too greasy or too thick and really protects my face from the sun's damage.  Happy Summer!  Go out and enjoy the long day of sunshine, but be sure to protect your skin.

    1 comment:

    1. Last year, I was looking for a good organic sunscreen and searched Consumer Reports among others. Loving Naturals (SPF 30+) not only was one of the top 3 choices of sunscreen overall, but it blocks UVA/UVB, is water resistant, safe for babies, natural, non-greasy (yea!), and vegan!! It's a bit expensive, but a tiny bit goes a LONG way! I bought two 5 oz bottles, and have done numerous rafting trips (6-19 days long) and still have at least 1/2 of the first bottle. I'm as pale as milk - and this stuff works great!

      Thanks for the info on Aubrey Organics. I have to order mine online (we don't have a good selection of organics in El Paso). It will be a great alternative!

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