Are you confused about sunscreen? Some claim it is necessary protection yet others speak with great sense about it causing harmful effects for you and our environment. How are we to know what is best for us?
Like always, you are your own best expert … consider the Precautionary Principle, embrace Empathy Economics, and know that you can make a better decision for yourself and your family when you are informed. We are here for you.
NOT ALL SUNSCREEN IS CREATED EQUAL
Since our skin is our largest organ, it’s important that we take care of it at every age. If you choose to wear sunscreen, when and if you are out in the sun (even if you can’t see it), we encourage you to only use products that fully disclose their ingredients … good, organic, clean ingredients. Protecting yourself from the sun’s harmful rays, both from short term burns and longer term damage is essential, but there are many ways to do so, while also benefiting from the sun’s super powers, which can offer us a whole lot of wellness too!
If you choose to wear sunscreen:
Everything we slather on absorbs right into our bodies, so it is important to consider the ingredients that go into our skincare products. Studies have even found traces of chemical sunscreens in our urine and breast milk! Some chemical UV filters found in sunscreens mimic hormones or cause skin allergies (including oxybenzone, which is in almost 70% of chemical sunscreens!). Also, it’s important to consider that the chemicals that we put on our skin, enter our lakes and oceans with us, and if you spray aerosols, they are most often dangerous, and also pollute our shared air, plus end up landing on food, plants, animals, and people downwind.
Natural sunscreens are tested for effectiveness just like chemical sunscreens, so you can feel safe knowing that you aren’t compromising on your safety by choosing the more natural option (quite the opposite, really)!
Find sun care we appreciate in The Wellness Intelligence Collective.
For more of our lessons in Empathy Economics click here.
