Sun Smarts

Over the past several years, there has been a very active–and necessary–campaign convincing the public to wear sunscreen daily in order to prevent damage from the sun’s UVA (skin aging) and UVB (skin burning) rays.

Wearing an effective sunscreen on a daily basis is something that can not only prevent burning, but it can help prevent skin cancer. In 2009, the American Cancer Society said that over 1 million people would be diagnosed with skin cancer that year alone. In addition to skin cancer, a majority of skin’s premature aging and damage can be linked to sun exposure.

If you get an up close look at the skin of those who do not wear sunscreen or who go to tanning beds (please don’t!), you most likely will notice brown spots, uneven texture and tone, more noticeable fine lines, and wrinkles. I know so many people equate a tan with good health. People will argue that having a tan will make you look thinner, younger, healthier, etc. A tan, though, is evidence of skin damage rather than good health. I am super fair. I burn very easily. Any natural “tan” I get comes a couple weeks after a painful sunburn. 

I am all for having a bronze glow. I don’t want to put on shorts or my bathing suit and see porcelain legs anymore than most of you do. I wear sunscreen and any tan I have comes from a bronzer or self tanner.

I really believe in my heart of hearts that wearing  a natural sunscreen is one of the single most important things we can do for our skin. There is so much credible evidence out there that advocates the importance of wearing sunscreen. I live in Upstate New York where it is cloudy for much of fall through spring. 

I wear my sunscreen even in January’s cloudiest days--and there are many of those days in this neck of the woods.  

Avoiding harmful ingredients when it comes to sunscreen, though, can be very difficult. There are some toxic ingredients used in sunscreens and it is up to the consumers to read the ingredients list and know what it good and what is not. I want to provide you with a simple guide to choosing the best sunscreen for your family.

Here are some tips that we recommend:

*Making sure that a sunscreen's UVA protection is sufficient is very important. Both UVA and UVB rays are harmful, but UVA rays are generally more harmful because they penetrate deeper into the skin and can cause the cell changes that are linked to cancer.

*Do not choose powders or sprays. While I realize that a spray can be quick and convenient, you end up inhaling what is in the product and this can be harmful to your health. For this reason, the natural sunscreens we offer at Nature's Basin do not come in this form. Yes, it may take a bit longer to apply and thoroughly blend in, but you do not want to sacrifice good health and adequate sun protection by choosing the wrong formula.

*Avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone. This is a synthetic estrogen and some believe it can be carcinogenic. Also avoid using sunscreens with Vitamin A. If the label doesn't say "Vitamin A", look for its derivative Retinyl Palmitate.

*If you see a product with a label of higher than SPF 50, be suspicious. I have seen products at the store claiming to be "SPF 100+." That sounds super protective, doesn't it? It isn't. The FDA says that numbers beyond SPF 50 are misleading. This gives people a false sense of safety and often makes them think they can stay in the sun all day long.

*Mineral sunscreens are best. Look for products with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.These are generally a safer option because they are what is known as a physical sunscreen. They provide a barrier and reflect the UV rays.  These ingredients are not absorbed into the skin.

So how do you know which natural mineral sunscreen is best?

The Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Skin Deep just released the 2011 Sunscreen Guide and announced the winning sunscreens.

Nature's Basin is proud to offer some of the safest, finest sunscreens available and we're proud to have the product we offer to our customers rank so highly.

Two of the brands we offer, ecō Logical and Badger, scored tops with a score of 1 this year. The lower the score, the safer the product. We also offer another acclaimed natural sunscreen brand,  Soleo Organics. You may be familiar with this one since it was ranked #1 by the EWG in 2010.

Badger's Lip Balm SPF 15 also was one of the safest lip sunscreens on the market. I think we sometimes forget to apply SPF to our lips, but it is so crucial!

I am so careful about applying my sunscreen with diligence.  I even apply it to the tops of my hands to prevent age spots from sun exposure. I used to skip the lips. I use Badger on my lips because it is safe, unscented, and protects my lips from burning. Did you know that excessive exposure to the sun's UVA and UVB rays is actually linked to lip cancer? 

Spend that extra two seconds and protect your lips, too. While you're at it, if you have a husband like mine who believes that his tan will protect him from a sunburn, please encourage him to apply a natural sunscreen each day. Men are more likely to develop skin cancer, according to a Boston University study, but are less likely to use sunscreen. The study indicated that marketing may play a role because there are many more glossy sunscreen ads in the media targeting women.

Protecting ourselves from skin cancer and the other effects of damage due to sun exposure is something we all can do by applying an effective natural sunscreen. It’s simple, doesn’t take much effort, and can help save not just our skin, but our lives--and the lives of our loved ones.