Back in the early 2000’s in my book “Well at Any Age” I talked about the benefits of controlled sun exposure and the dangers of sunscreens. This subject has surfaced once again. Recent studies of leading sunscreens have found most of them to be potentially dangerous to your health! Why?
In recent years manufacturers have been miniaturizing the chemicals contained in sunscreens. These nanoparticles are so tiny that they can penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream. This means those chemicals are invading the internal chemistry of the body, many of them are known issue causing agents. So we apply a sunscreen to prevent skin issues and end up greatly increasing our risk for other deadly internal issues.
What’s the answer? Firstly minimize your sun exposure. You should NEVER stay out in the sun so long as to burn your skin. Adjust your sun exposure according to your skin pigment. In other words, if you are really white you need to limit your sun exposure significantly. Next choose a sunscreen with ingredients that have not been miniaturized or micronized.
The best and safest sunscreen agents are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. That’s the white stuff you see on the faces of lifeguards. The next safest agent is called avobenzone. This is absorbed into the skin but breaks down rather quickly. The worst sunscreens are those containing oxybenzone. This common ingredient is readily absorbed into the internal chemistry of your body and it is a known carcinogen.
So before you apply read the ingredients. Those products containing zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide are the best as these are derivatives of natural minerals. Check back soon for the latest health and nutrition news.