As the summer months are quickly approaching, there is one thing that almost everyone stocks up on before their outdoor adventures, beach trips and family barbecues: SUNSCREEN. It’s been widely taught that is is unwise to go outside without wearing it and that if you don’t, you put yourself at risk for skin cancer. As you have applied this sunscreen without a second thought, have you ever wondered what ingredients you are actually putting on your body and what effect it may be having on you? Could using sunscreen actually increase your chances of getting cancer rather than decreasing it? It may not be as beneficial as we have been taught!
THE SUN: IS IT HARMFUL OR BENEFICIAL?
The sun is not as harmful as the medical world has been telling us; the sun is actually very beneficial for mankind! God created it for a reason and it is here to nourish the earth. It benefits us in ways of our hormone health, immune system, vitamin D levels, and affects us on a cellular level. In places that lack a lot of sunlight, numbers of people with depression dramatically increase. The sun has a huge effect on our overall mood and wellbeing! It’s essential for us to get sunlight for us to operate at our maximum potential. We don’t always want sunscreen blocking our bodies ability to absorb the sunlight. If you never go out into the sun without wearing sunscreen, you aren’t absorbing vitamin D! It’s important to go outside with nothing on for a period of time based on how your skin can handle it without getting burnt.
WHAT ABOUT SUNSCREEN?
Our skin is one of the most absorbent parts of our body so what we put on it is really important and we must be cautious. Of course we do not want to get burnt when we go outside so there are times when sunscreen is necessary. Try to go without it as much as possible but when needed, make sure to buy organic sunscreen without chemicals. The Environmental Working Group, or EWG, says that in 2019 when the FDA posted its most recent update to sun regulation they found that only 2 ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, could be classified as safe and effective. Although they consider titanium dioxide safe, try to stick with a sunscreen with only zinc oxide as this is the most beneficial. The EWG website also says that “In the past year, numerous new studies have raised new concerns about endocrine disrupting effects from three other ingredients used in most sunscreens: homosalate, avobenzone and oxybenzone. Within the past year, the European Commission published preliminary opinions on the safety of these ingredients that they are not safe in the concentration limit of the amount they are currently being used.” They are known to be safe at the limit of 1.4-2.2% and the US sunscreen manufactures are legally allowed to use these chemicals at a concentration up to 6 and 15%. This far exceeds the European commissions safety recommendations. It has also been found that these chemicals can be traced on the skin and in the blood weeks after being used. Sunscreen ingredients have also been found in breast milk and urine samples! This is extremely concerning.
The three main toxic chemicals in sunscreen are known as endocrine disrupters. Endocrine issues is one of the biggest things that people struggle with today! We see so many women struggling with hormone issues and infertility, men with more feminine tendencies, men struggling with breast cancer and so much more because of endocrine disrupters. Could sunscreen be one of the causes? It most definitely could be. It’s extremely important to be aware of these types of chemicals that you may be unknowingly putting on your body every day. Sunscreen has been used by almost everyone since a very young age and it can most assuredly cause a harmful effect over time.
When it’s time to stock up on sunscreen, make sure to stay away from harmful ingredients and look for sunscreen with zinc oxide to truly protect yourself from getting burnt! Remember to go outside without any sunscreen at all for as long as you can to soak up all of the Vitamin D possible.
If you would like more information on how to receive these tests and plans, please contact our office via email, phone, or in person.