TOXIC BLOCKS

~by Sheila Garcia

It’s that time of the year where we all start really enjoying the weather outside, and that means it’s also the time of year we use the most sunblock.

More than 2 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every single year. And even though more and more people are using sunscreen each year, the incidence of skin cancer continues to grow around the world. Four different studies conducted in the 1990s indicated a higher risk of malignant melanoma among individuals who used the most sunscreen! Most recently, it has come to our attention (or maybe it hasn’t!) why.

Your skin is your largest organ and it absorbs everything you rub on it or into it. Some sunscreen ingredients even absorb into the blood, and some have toxic effects. Some release skin-damaging free radicals in sunlight, some act like estrogen and disrupt hormones, and several can cause allergic reactions and skin irritation. The FDA has not established rigorous safety standards for sunscreen ingredients. DID YOU KNOW: Sunscreens haven’t been regulated since 1978 in the USA, and the SPF factor only tells you how effective a sunscreen is against UVB rays which cause sunburn.

There have been many up-to-date studies on the most common sunscreen ingredients and have found that oxybenzone, methoxycinnamate, and PABA are estrogenic chemicals linked to cancer. (That’s right, Folks! I read the labels on not only my food products, but on anything I’m putting on or near my body, and you should, too.)

If your sunscreen contains any of these chemicals I’d throw it away right now!

List of Unsafe, Toxic Chemicals in Sunscreen:
Para amino benzoic acid
Octyl salicyclate
Oxybenzone
Cinoxate
Dioxybenzone
Phenylbenzimidazole
Homosalate
Menthyl anthranilate
Octocrylene
Methoxycinnamate
Parabens

Stay away from these chemicals and use the natural sunscreens I recommend at the end of the article.

There are two types of sunscreens: non-mineral and mineral. And some that combine both.

Non-mineral sunscreens penetrate the skin, are potentially disruptive to hormones, are allergenic, and like I mentioned earlier, can release free radicals when they break down. Oxybenzone is the most common ingredient found in sunscreens. Scientists recommend not using sunscreens containing oxybenzone on children because of this hormone disruption.

Mineral sunscreens are ones containing zinc, or titanium. These do not breakdown in sunlight, are not usually absorbed, so in turn, do not disrupt the body’s hormones, are not allergenic and are more effective at blocking UVA rays than non-minerals. These sunscreens are a good choice for children and have the best safety profiles of the choices in the United States.

Natural Sunscreens:

The best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt. No chemicals for the skin to absorb, no questions about whether the product works and no bogus claims like “sunblock.” (No conventional product blocks out all rays. Which is why the FDA is trying to ban the term.)

Here are my top 3 recommended brands of the top natural sunscreens:

1. The Naked Bee SPF 30 (I use this one and it smells like an orange push up pop!)

2. Kiss My Face SPF 30

3. 100% Pure Hydration Organic Pomegranate

4. Aubrey Organics SPF 30 Children’s Unscented Sensitive Skin

5. Burt’s Bees Chemical-free SPF 30

These healthier sunscreens contain Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide as a more natural form of sunblock.

If you do get burnt, use a mixture of pure (not synthetic) aloe, coconut oil and vitamin E on your skin.

Take care of your body inside and out. Get your workouts in and protect your skin while doing so. And build your health and fitness lifestyle into a legacy that won’t get burned!