As summer weather approaches Seattle, I thought folks might be interested in my two cents about sunscreen. It’s tough to find a good sunscreen and experimentation can cost a lot, so I hope this helps.
- Choose mineral sunscreens over chemical sunscreens. For a number of years I refused to put sunscreen on my face above my eyes. Even when I didn’t perceive any sweat, within a few hours my eyes would burn and sting. I’ve come to realize that this problem happens only with nasty chemical sunscreens. Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredients and are also called physical sunscreen. Everything else is chemical. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have been shown to pass through the skin only negligibly. There is increasing evidence that chemical sunscreen ingredients, which are absorbed through the skin have negative effects on our hormones. Most recently I read http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/14/health/sunscreen-sperm-male-fertility/.
- Don’t be fooled by natural looking brands. Look products up! I am a big believer in the Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org/. I’ve been using their skindeep database which evaluates the ingredients in over 60,000 personal care products for a decade now. Products are rated on a scale of 1 (least hazardous) to 10 (most) on the best information available about their formulations. Brands like Aveeno, which totally capitalize on the plant-based-and-natural angle offer products that span the whole range from 1 to 10. EWG is working on an EWG verified label, similar to a Kosher
, that will make it easier to shop without looking up products on the go. In the meantime, in addition to their web page, you can use their app with a barcode scanner, so it’s not that hard to check. - Stick to the point. Sunscreen is supposed to protect you from the sun. Avoid fragrance (in sunscreen and in general, though I support exceptions like deodorant). Skip the glitter and the fake glow. Don’t spray it on (unhealthy because of inhalation and it turns fiberglass sailboats orange).
- Cover up. You know what is not greasy or white? What won’t burn your eyes or interfere with your fertility? Hats and long sleeves. People who try to snorkel while protecting their entire bodies with gobs of water resistant sunscreen are being silly and killing beautiful tropical fish and they’re probably getting a sunburn anyway. Wear a shirt, but don’t expect any protection from a white cotton t-shirt especially when wet. Fabric with a tight weave, in darker colors is best. Lycra, nylon and polyester are better than cotton. A lot of clothes are rated with a ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) measurement now.
- Make exceptions. I think the reason some people avoid learning about hazards like these is that it can be hard to know what is best while still being flexible and functioning in a messy, imperfect world. I get it. There are always exceptions. On our round the world trip, where we spent every single day outside, I wore chemical sunscreen (below my eyes, with a hat) because the annoyance of mineral sunscreen and/or avoiding being outside at certain times of day just wasn’t worth it. You can’t wear a wide brimmed hat while sailing (on windy days) or biking, or playing baseball, and it’s super important to get outdoors to do fun things. If you wear hats and mineral sunscreen most of the time, then it’s no big deal to wear the more toxic stuff when your activity demands it.
- babo botanicals daily sheer spf 40 (2)
- Blue Lizard Face spf 30 (2)
- babo botanicals clear zinc sport stick spf 30 (2)
- Elemental Herbs All Good lip balm spf 20 (1)
- Thinkbaby spf 50 (1)
- alba botanica sport spf 45 (2)
- Eucerin daily protection spf 30 (4)
- Blue Lizard sport spf 30 (4)
Last year I did the EWG sun safety campaign, which included samples from several brands rated highly (low scores) by EWG. Babo botanicals was my favorite, although many others were pretty good too. For the curious, in addition to babo botanicals, elemental herbs and thinkbaby, the other included brands were:
- Aubrey Organics
- Ava Anderson Non Toxic ( I loved their spf 15 moisturizer in 2014, but it wasn’t as good in 2015)
- Badger Balm (okay stick for lips but pretty chalky)
- California Baby (kind of greasy, white stuck around)
- Babytime by Episencial, Goddess Garden
- Honest Company (greasy, reportedly ineffective and separates liquid and solid)
- Juice Beauty
- Marie Veronique Organics
- MyChelle Dermaceuticals
- Raw Elements
- True Natural.
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