Safe Sunscreens for Face, Body, and the Environment

Summer is right around the corner, so I feel that this topic is very appropriate: SUNSCREEN. And not just any sunscreen from CVS will do. Just like with food, it is so critical to check the ingredients, because not all sunscreens are created equal. Sun protection is key every single day to protect your skin and prevent signs of aging- (dermatologists/ estheticians will 100% agree that daily SPF application is the number one way to prevent aging.) Number one!!! So why aren’t more of us using it?

In the past, sunscreens have been thick and make you look chalky, feel sticky, and if you’re like me… cause serious breakouts all over. BUT sunscreen tech has come a long way, and I have personally found some gems that make it easy for me to keep a sunscreen routine on the daily.

I’m not a skincare expert by trade or education, but I sometimes feel like I would be an esthetician if I weren’t a dietitian because I cannot learn enough about skincare. I listen to podcasts about it, I follow instagram accounts of some amazing dermatologists and estheticians. I always want to learn the latest and greatest about skin. I’ve learned along the way from the fabulous experts out there, and now I’m sharing from personal experience which products work for me, keep my toxic load lower, and help preserve our environment. So throw on your sunhat and grab a lounge chair while we dive into sunscreen (figuratively and literally).

A quick note about sun exposure- Sun provides us with the gift of producing vitamin D when it hits our skin. Vitamin D is important for many reasons, from bone health to hormone production, and unfortunately, most of us don’t get enough. Depending on the season and location you live in, sun exposure can’t produce enough vitamin D on the skin all the time. Check this map to scope out your area and how much sun time you need to get sufficient vitamin D. For SoCal, we can get enough vitamin D from 20-60 minutes WITHOUT sunscreen (the time length depends on skin color- lighter skin needs less time). This window should be the only time you got without SPF. Get your half hour or so, then slather one the sunscreen.

OK, so now that we know the sun can be a good thing to provide us with vitamin D (when we are not wearing SPF), let’s talk the importance of using a physical sunscreen rather than a chemical sunscreen when we are protecting ourselves from the rays.

There are two types of sunscreen- physical, which contains zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient, and chemical sunscreen, which uses a slew of actives like oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate. I’m not here to judge you on your sunscreen choices, but I do want to take the time to educate and inform in case this is news to you!

Why physical sunscreen? It’s better for you, and better for the environment. Physical sunscreens work by sitting on top of your skin reflecting the sun’s rays like a shield. The molecules of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are too big to be absorbed by the skin, so there is no risk of harmful side effects! They are just natural minerals that sit there and do their job. SO ideal.

Chemical sunscreen, on the other hand, works by absorbing the sun’s rays and then turning them into heat. Essentially this heats up your skin on a micro-level (which can be very inflammatory, especially for those with rosacea, melasma, or who are prone to redness.)

Lab studies show certain chemical blockers could be endocrine disruptors. One full body application of a chemical sunscreen has enough estrogen-mimicking properties to be equivalent to a dose of hormone replacement therapy required for a menopausal woman!! Chemical sunscreen can also be a contributor of breakouts for those who are acne-prone. And if you’re someone who struggles with brown spots, definitely avoid them because the heating of the skin will only make matter worse. Thank you, next!

The last reason I do not support chemical sunscreen is the environmental impact. Chemical blockers oxybenzone and octinoxate (among a few others) bleach, damage, and KILL coral reefs. So much sunscreen ends up in our oceans adding stress to the ecosystem. Coral gets damaged at the DNA level so they cannot reproduce and die starving for nutrients because they become incased in their own skeleton. This is so devastating, as so much aquatic life depends on the thriving ecosystem coral provides. In fact, in an effort to protect the reefs and all of the life they support, places like Hawaii, Key West, and parts of Mexico have all banned the selling and use of chemical sunscreens. Unless you have a medical condition that requires chemical over physical sunscreen use, AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

I hope this post educates you and gives you hope that there is something you can do (a very easy switch, IMO) to care for your skin while protecting the environment. We can all make a change that adds up to make a big difference. I would love to know if there are any physical sunscreens you have tried and loved- please share!

Have a great weekend!!

XO, Alexandra