Know What to Know

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Sunscreens - Hidden Truth

Summer is the best time for outside play, tour, travel and many other activities without worrying about jackets and umbrellas. As the ozone layer gets depleted gradually, the harmful rays of the sun too seem to be rising. Sunscreens come handy when dealing with the scorching sunlight throughout the day without getting a sunburn. Sunscreens have many chemicals which can effectively block the harmful UV rays. Sunscreens do a good work in helping to prevent skin cancer associated with UV radiation from the sun.
Image of Sunscreens along the beachside with SPF 99.9+ written on them battling with sun's rays
The effectiveness of these sunscreens are judged by the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) level indicated. So, to protect ourselves we go for sunscreens with high, and sometimes very high SPF. If it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer – about five hours. Now, YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS.

A report suggested that under certain conditions, sunscreens with estrogenic chemicals like Oxybenzone, Retinyl palmitate, Methoxycinnamate and Para amino benzoic acid(PABA) and other ultraviolet filters could lead to free-radical damage to the skin, a process that in theory could lead to skin cancer.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) published their guide to safe sunscreens. They reviewed over 2000 sunscreens and over 257 brands. They found more than 75% of the sunscreens contained toxic chemicals that can increase your risk of cancer and other health issues. Experts pity that  people are poisoning themselves by putting ounce-quantities of chemical sunscreens on their bodies, especially kids and pregnant or breastfeeding ladies. Studies show the reaction of these sunscreens on the hormones and are linked with early puberty of the kids.

Sunscreens are generally two types:
  • Non mineral based sunscreen
    • with chemicals like oxybenzone 
    • thin in consistency with less stickiness
    • gets absorbed by the skin and then gets into the blood very easily
  • Mineral based sunscreen
    • with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, 
    • gooey texture
    • does not get easily absorbed by the skin

Many studies have found that people are misled by the claims on high SPF sunscreen bottles.SPF values above 50+ try to trick you into believing they’ll prevent sun damage. Don’t trust them. Useful SPF protection tops out at 30 to 50. Nowadays, there are lots of spray sunscreens coming into the market. These spray sunscreens can be inhaled and causes lung damages, and they don’t cover skin completely.

Here is what you need to do. Go outdoors in early morning or late afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky. In case you happen to go outside during the peak hours of UV rays, first seek shade, cover up with clothing including a wide-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses or an umbrella. If at all you need to use any sunscreen, consider zinc oxide based sunscreens rather than the ones using the dangerous oxybenzone. Please pay extra caution when applying sunscreens for growing kids.

If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Source:
http://www.ewg.org/2015sunscreen/
http://www.skincancer.org/
http://www.doctoroz.com/article/your-sunscreen-might-be-poisoning-you
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136119893@N07

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