Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying That Sunscreen
It’s summertime and the livin’s easy…..just picture being in your favorite place, under the sun’s glow, favorite drink in hand just soaking up all of lifes simple pleasures. You flip over and take a little nap and the next thing you know your whole backside is burned even though you put the SPF 70 sunscreen on. You grab more sunscreen because you think that is what’s protecting your precious skin, further damaging it. Ok, now here’s why your sunscreen may be doing more harm than good…..
I’ve made the case before, but recent studies have confirmed my doubts about popular sunscreens being marketed as clean and safe when they are, in fact- not. Take Nuetrogena, for example. 80% of their sunscreens contain oxybenzone which acts as a hormone disruptor in the body. Hormone disruptors can not only alter natural hormone levels, but mimic existing levels which causes the body to freak out because it doesn’t know what to use. Ladies, this is nothing to joke around about, a 2008 study ooked at the effects of oxybenzone on rainbow trout and found that it reduced fertility, egg count, and even reduced pecentage of viable eggs. According to EWG (Environmental Working Group), oxybenzone acts like estrogen in the body, alters sperm production in males, and is associated with female reproductive issues like endometriosis. It’s no surprise that oxybenzone has been detected in millions of American mother’s milk as well.
Neutrogena sunscreens also contain skin damaging ingredients like retinyl palmitate which is a form of vitamin A that has been linked to skin damage. This ingredient accelerates cancer and skin lesions when applied to the skin and mixes with the suns rays. In addition, liver damage, hair loss and osteoporosis can develop from the use of this ingredient.
Neutrogena sunscreen products have also made claims of high SPF like “SPF 70”, when in reality that is false, misleading advertising. SPF levels usually only work until about 50. If the bottle says 60+ or 70 SPF that is definitely something to be wary of.
You’ll want to stick to mineral-based ingredients like non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide when looking for a clean sunscreen, two ingredients in which the FDA also deems as safe and have UVA + UVB protection. This is why it’s best to do your own research, because there are thousands of misleading claims and articles with outright lies being spewed out at the expense of our health. I have been using EWG as a reliable source for food and product safety for years now and I love how they break down each chemical and why it was given a particular rating. Not only that, but they advoate for better agricultural practices, new legislation surrounding skincare products and research to support their arguments.
Some countries even ban the use of these ingdredients in the sale of sunscreens as they harm aquatic life. If these points aren’t alarming enough, these ingredients produce toxic breakdown byproducts in the body which highly increases your toxic burden. When shopping for sunscreens you can also look for the REEF SAFE or Coral Safe seal to ensure you’re not harming our precious sea creatures.
Remember, what you put on your skin goes directly into the bloodstream, and oftentimes stays there long after you’ve used the product. I don’t know about ya’ll, but it seems like the very thing used to prevent skin damage, burning and aging is doing the opposite- AND THEN SOME.
A great tip that my grandmother taught me when I was the ripe young age of 13 was that the sun before 10am and after 4pm was the safe sun that gave me the best glow- and she was right! The sun at these times isn’t as high in the sky and less strong so if you want to get some natural vitamin D and a nice glow- grab a date with the restorative sun at those times!
Below I’ve listed the main suncreen brands to avoid alltogether, the brands I trust and use, and a list of ingredients to avoid when shopping for your beloved sunscreen!🌞
FDA-approved sunscreen chemicals to avoid: oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate, avobenzone, octisalate, homosalate, octinoxate and octocrylene. Many of the products I use are not FDA approved, however; that doesn’t mean they’re not safe. And vice versa, there are many products on the market that are FDA approved that lack concrete evidence of safety and efficacy.
SUNSCREEN BRANDS TO AVOID:
Neutrogena
Aveeno
Sun Bum
Hawaiian Tropic
Banana Boat
Coppertone
SUNSCREEN BRANDS I TRUST:
100% Pure
Babo Botanicals
Juice Beauty
Badger
ILIA
Marie Veronique
Bare Republic
MORE TIPS ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING SUNSCREEN:
I am a huge proponent of the sun. It provides so much healing and energy to those who choose to enjoy it properly. I point out some great benefits of the sun in my FREE ritual guide so don’t forget to sign up for my email list here for your copy! I hope you found this information helpful and as always, take care of yourself so you can thrive as a wonder of the world✨
Please leave a comment below or DM me directly @8thwonderhh on IG for any questions comments or concerns!
Link to studies and more information below:
Dermatological and environmental toxicological impact of the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone/benzophenone-3
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29086472/
Study on safety of oxybenzone, homosalate and octocrylene
https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/default/files/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_247.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/default/files/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_244.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/default/files/scientific_committees/consumer_safety/docs/sccs_o_249.pdf