What is in my Sunscreen?
From the time we were young we have been told to put on Sunscreen to keep us safe from the harmful rays of the sun. What we didn’t know is that we were unknowingly harming the animals both above below the sea and ourselves. Many products in the most popular brands of Sunscreen contain both Health Hazards and Eco Hazards. If you look at the labels on the sunscreen like many people do at the grocery store for their food, you will be surprised in what you find. I found this great site that researches and reports on the health risks of cosmetics of which Sunscreen falls under. EWG.ORG
What are the things to look out for?
The health hazards are:
- Diazolidinyl urea
- Homosalate
- Methylisothiazolinone
- Oxybenzone
- Parabens
Eco hazards are:
- Microbeads
- Cinnamates
- Oxybenzone
- Benzophenones
- Camphor Derivatives
There are many more ingredients that are harmful to humans and to the environment as a whole.
What can we do?
Consumers have a very powerful position in the economy. If we don’t buy it they won’t make it. I know it sounds simple. I know it is sometimes hard to find the all natural sunscreen that doesn’t have all the health hazards and the eco hazards. With a little bit of planning you can go a long way in forcing manufactures to change their ways. First of all by going to your local water sports store and purchasing your sunscreen before heading to the beach where you might not have a choice to get the healthy brand. If you don’t buy the unnatural brands then they will not sell them. When you are on Vacation tell the local shop you only use the healthy brands. Maybe you have to tell them so they can start to stock it. Tell your local retailer that you will only buy the health brands. Use your consumer dollars to force a change for the betterment of the planet we all share.
Do healthy brands work as well?
Yes the healthy and Eco brands do just as good of a job as the sunscreens full of unhealthy chemicals. So what is the catch? As with anything that is healthy, organic, or free range it is going to cost a bit more than the unhealthy brands. When you apply the sunscreen it can sometimes not blend as well so you might have white spots that need to be rubbed in better. To combat this issue some manufactures have made tinted varieties of their formula so it looks more natural. The bottom line is being a healthy smart consumer is a full time job. If it was easy everyone would be one!
Further Education on Sunscreen
Check out our favorite brand of sunscreen to keep you and the environment safe when enjoying the great outdoors.
Further resources:
National Geographic
