the importance of a safe sunscreen
More from our team of beautiful brands for our Christmas giveaway! Today, we’re happy to share with you this article by Anna Mitsios, founder at Edible Beauty. Anna is a naturopath, who has been involved in the pursuit of herbal medicine and nutrition for over 15 years, with a focus on fertility, women’s and children’s health. With her brand Edible Beauty, Anna is committed to creating products founded on naturopathic philosophies, using wildcrafted and exotic ingredients and encouraging her clients and people who use her skin care to nourish their skin, from the inside-out.
“Coming from the “sun-kissed” land of Oz, we have been well educated on the risk factor of exposure to the harmful rays of the sun and the importance of using sunscreen. Unfortunately, we have been less educated on the dangers of chemical sunscreen and the safe alternatives that are available, such as Zinc Oxide, which can effectively provide us with sun protection sans additional risk factors. Basking Beauty Natural Sunscreen uses Zinc Oxide to safely provide broad spectrum SPF50 UVA and UVB protection without having to sacrifice other aspects of your health, such as potential hormone disruption, allergic reactions and irritation.
THE SUNSCREEN RISK FACTOR
When it comes to being aware of what we are putting on our skin, conventional sunscreens, termed “chemical sunscreens,” are products we need to be very careful with. Not only are they are applied to a large surface area of our body, they are reapplied frequently, including around the face where they can even be incidentally consumed from the lips and inhaled from around the nostrils. Chemical sunscreens also commonly contain ingredients that act to enhance penetration of the skin, which help the product adhere whilst driving the nasty ingredients deeper into your dermis.
HOW DO CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS WORK?
Chemical sunscreens protect from the sun by changing UV rays into heat, then releasing that heat from the skin. They are often referred to as chemical or organic absorbers.
These products typically include a combination of two to six of the following active ingredients: Oxybenzone, Avobenzone, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Homosalate and Octinoxate. These molecules are comprised of chemical rings, essentially, and they absorb light. However, chemical rings are also the fundamental basis for a lot of our hormones.
MOST SUNSCREEN INGREDIENTS HAVE NOT BEEN PROVEN TO BE SAFE
Most recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has found that of 16 ingredients used as UV filters in sunscreen, there are just two sunscreen ingredients, Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide (classified as mineral sunscreens) that we have enough information and understanding of to be classified as "safe".
WATCH OUT FOR THESE NASTIES
Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Homosalate, Avobenzone, Methylisothiazolinone
CHOOSING A SAFE SUNSCREEN
The alternatives to chemical sunscreens are mineral sunscreens and include Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. These ingredients work by providing a physical sun protection, in the form of a barrier that deflects UV rays. Even where nanoparticles are detected in these minerals, studies suggest that few (if any at all) zinc or titanium particles penetrate the skin to reach the living tissues layers.
BASKING BEAUTY NATURAL SUNSCREEN
We are proud to have available our 100% natural zinc oxide formula that is also enriched with hydrating and anti-ageing botanicals, to provide a safe and beautifying sunscreen option that is suitable for the whole family, including newborns! Find out more here.
Article by Anna Mitsios, Adv. Dip. Naturopathy. Adv. Dip. Nutrition. B.Com (Honours), Founder at Edible Beauty: Web, Instagram.