With summer on our doorstep, we should all think about how to best protect our skin from sunburns. Usually, most people reach for sunscreen. However, though it is necessary to prevent sunburns, blocking the sun completely is not beneficial and this is exactly what sunscreens do.
As you may know, the sun supplies us with vitamin D and believe it or not, it also plays its role in cancer prevention. Nowadays, most of us “fear” the sun without realizing that covering up with chemicals and toxins will not do us any good.
From a scientific point of view, everything we apply on the skin goes inside our body at a quick rate. And, sunscreen is no exception. But, as it is full of toxins, it is natural to question their safety! Let us learn what research on sunscreen products has to reveal…
Is Sunscreen Dangerous for Our Skin?
According to a study done at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba in Canada, most of the chemicals from the tested sunscreens had chemicals which entered into different tissues inside the body.
Moreover, another study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives Journal showed a major reduction in hormone-disrupting chemicals present in skin care products after the participants started using better products which were free of triclosan, parabens, and phthalates.
According to science offered by corporations that profit from the sale of sunscreen, the chemicals in these products cannot harm us; however, how sure can we be in what “corporate science” says? Just as a reminder, Johnson & Johnson was found guilty of putting cancerous baby powder on the market.
Unfortunately, today, for every purchase we make, there is science on one side claiming how good the product is and on the other, science claiming that the product is dangerous. Consequently, making the simplest of choices like buying soap has become quite challenging.
But, one thing is for sure- sunscreens are filled with toxins and our skin absorbs them. Here are the most harmful ones:
- Oxybenzone- linked with hormone disruption, cell damage, and cancer
- Retinyl Palmitate- may lead to skin tumors and lesions
- Fragrances
Sun Exposure Can Keep Us Safe from Cancer
Though marketed otherwise, the sun is not so bad after all. We are constantly being bombarded by sunscreen manufacturers that sun exposure can cause cancer if we do not apply their products. However, according to studies, the right exposure to the sun is the key to cancer prevention.
And yet, there are a lot of studies connecting melanoma and sunburns.
Some experts claim that our skin resistance to the sun has dropped as a result of cultural changes and sunscreen campaigns. On the other hand, spending regular time exposing your skin on the sun will help build a natural immunity because we are made to receive the sunrays.
If you are searching for alternative means to prevent sunburns, opt for natural sunscreens free of chemicals. Find them in the nearest natural health stores. Search for the ones free of toxic chemicals and abundant in zinc and titanium minerals.
Take into account that the best way to protect yourself from the sun is by wearing appropriate clothes and sitting in the shade. Remember, sunscreen blocks the absorption of vitamin D from the sun.
Some people often use coconut oil as a natural protection from the sun even though it has only a SPF of 8 which is not very high. It can help you reduce the skin’s proneness to burning.
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