The days are longer. The sun is shining bright. School is a distant memory for kids and the beaches and pools are calling our names! Summer is in full swing. Sunscreen is an end cap fixture in all stores and people aren’t leaving the house without slathering themselves head to toe in the protective goo.
While we are all well meaning and simply trying to protect ourselves and our crew from the harmful effects of the sun, sometimes the terrible chemicals that are in many sunscreens might (dare I say it) be worse for our bodies than the sun itself.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fair-skinned-sunscreen-wearing lady. I always have a tube of it in my bag in case we caught out in the sun for too long. But I also know that not all sunscreens are something I really want to smear all over my body. Our skin, after all, is our biggest organ! Whatever we put on our skin will go into our systems! So, if I don’t want to eat some gnarly chemical, than I certainly want to think twice about putting it on my skin!
Okay, so I’ve caught your attention. You don’t want to blindly apply sunscreen chock full of less-than-clean ingredients, so what chemicals DO you avoid when picking out a sunscreen? And which sunscreens do I recommend you use?
Breathe deep. I know it all feels overwhelming and even a bit baffling. But I have done the digging and here is the dirt on sunscreen ingredients to steer clear of.
Just a quick and friendly reminder that I am not a medical doctor or scientist. All of the information in this post comes from my own research.
Parabens
A preservative in many sunscreens (as well as makeups), parabens are used to stop fungus and mold from growing in your skin care products. There has been a lot of question in the past few years about how safe they truly are and some research even suggests that paprabens may increase the risk of breast cancer in an individual. Yikes! No thanks! And, just to add to the fun, identifying if a product is paraben-free is not super easy, as companies love to give it all sorts of creative and hard to say names like:
Methylparaben
Ethylparaben
Propylparaben
Butylparaben
Benzyl-parahydroxybenzoate
Methyl-parahydroxybenzoate
Ethyl-parahydroxybenzoate
Propyl-parahydroxybenzoate
Butyl-parahydroxybenzoate
Parahydroxybenzoate
Oxybenzone
This is the ingredient you want to make extra sure to steer clear of when picking out your family’s summer sunscreen and is sadly in many of the options that are out there! Oxybenzone is in so many sunscreens because it is a UV filter and acts as a synthetic form estrogen that penetrates the skin. It can really mess with the hormone system. Something none of us needs…but especially not growing kids!
Octinoxate
Sometimes called also called “Octyl methoxycinnamate,” this is another popular UV filter found in many sunscreens (and other personal products, to boot) whose toxicity is unsettling! Many people like sunscreens with octinoxate because it quickly absorbs into the skin, but studies have found that it can mess with the endocrine system and thyroid big time.
Retinyl palmitate
Many cosmetics contain rentinyl, also commonly referred to as retinol, as it is a form of Vitamin A. While it has wonderful anti-aging properties, retinyl palmitate is harmful when used on skin exposed to sunlight….making it a concerning ingredient to have in sunscreen. When Retinyl palmitate comes in contact with sunlight, It breaks down and creates free radicals that are damaging to our skin. Retinyl palmitate is rumored to increase the likelihood of skin lesions and skin cancer. Just….no. Isn’t that what we are trying to avoid with wearing sunscreen in the first place?
While not an ingredient, I would highly suggest avoiding spray sunscreens. While wonderfully convenient, spray sunscreens are often inhaled when being applied…so your body is getting a dose of chemicals from the inside and outside.
Now that you know what NOT to look for in a sunscreen, which ones ARE safe to slather yourself in for this sunny season? Here are some thatI have vetted, used and enjoy.
Badger Balm Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Cream
Mineral Sunscreen Lotion from Young Living
Coola Suncare Unscented Mineral Sunscreen
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Comments
I had no idea there were so many bad ingredients in popular sunscreens! This post is awesome! I just have heard that chemical sunscreens are bad, but haven’t been sure what brands to look for. Especially since most stores don’t carry natural sunscreens 🙁 Thanks for sharing, will try to use one of yours recommend! This is really helpful.
I’m so glad you found this useful! I agree, its upsetting how many harmful chemicals are sold in so many popular sunscreens!
In addition to harm to humans, sunscreens are dangerous for our ocean and aquatic friends. Hawaii has recently banned sunscreens containing chemicals that are killing coral reefs. Badger’s brand (one of the ones included in this list) is apparently on the safe list for coral reefs. However, if you plan to go for a swim in a lake or stream, it’s important to know that no sunscreens have been shown safe for amphibians, and as a result, they are declining rapidly. If you and your children enjoy searching lake and stream banks for frogs, tadpoles, salamanders and the like, don’t put hands or other body parts in the water (or worse, catch these critters with their very permeable skin) if you have used any sunscreens, even biodegradable ones. If you wish to go for a swim, dip or wade, or even get your hands wet while fishing, consider instead wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and dressing in pale-colored, lightweight long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect you from the sun. Worried about insect repellents too? The recommendation is to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants treated with the insect repellent called permethrin, instead of putting that toxic stuff on your skin. But if you do, don’t let those garments touch the water, because it can wash out of garments and is toxic to fish and other wildlife!