The (Year Round) Importance of Sunscreen!

Most people now know that too much sun exposure is bad!  But at the same time.....  the sun is not the enemy and a small amount of exposure to the sun is healthy and necessary to get adequate vitamin D!

Turns out in most areas 10 minutes in the direct sunlight is enough to reach adequate vitamin D levels!  So what is an outdoors lover to do?! SUNSCREEN!  Responsible sun exposure is key, which includes AVOIDING sunscreens with dangerous, deceptive or ineffective ingredients and choosing sun barriers when needed instead (clothing + shade).  In situations when you don't want to cover up, like in intense heat, or beach days when you know you will be getting sun, a safe sunscreen is absolutely necessary.

This is ESPECIALLY important for ACNE-PRONE skin and for protection AGAINST PHOTODAMAGE. Overexposure can damage the skin’s fragile oils and make photodamage, acne and irritation WORSE, so even if you hate sunscreen, get some safe stuff for your beautiful face.
 

Sunscreens that provide a physical protection from the sun (zinc based) also are providing a physical barrier or protection for your skin from the outside world as well. I have read several articles about the benefits of zinc based sunscreens for rosacea. As a sufferer of rosacea myself, I have found a significant improvement to my skin since I started using zinc based sunscreen. This is a good motivator to use sunscreen year round (which you should be doing anyway!) Sunscreens also work as a good primer for makeup!

Here’s what’s fascinating: I always thought that the “safest” kinds of sun protection, besides clothes and shade, were “sunblocks” – white, creamy, zinc-based lotions that don’t totally rub in.

Turns out, those aren’t ACTUALLY sunblocks at all. No lotion or stick product can be called “sunblock” any more, because “sunBLOCK” suggests something that doesn’t need to be reapplied. And you should ALWAYS reapply any sun protection product.

Your choices are really between chemical sunscreens (not good) and physical zinc-based sunscreens, which are safer, but you need to choose wisely.
 
Most chemical-based sunscreens on the market (anything WITHOUT zinc oxide - these use “-benzone” ingredients like avobenzone and oxybenzone – avoid!), which includes Neutrogena, Coppertone and Banana Boat, not only basically lie about their SPF (anything over 50 is pretty much hooey, as SPF maxes out between 30 and 50).... but even worse... the chemicals in these sunscreens often contain ingredients that may become MORE dangerous when exposed to UV light!







The safest sunscreen you can use is a physical (zinc-based)sunscreen.   (Titanium dioxide is also considered a physical sunscreen but might also undergo changes during light expose so stick to zinc-oxide only!) Please NEVER use spray sunscreens, which have both separation and inhalation risks.

Beautycounter’s sunscreen was created with the entire family in mind, this lightweight, water-resistant sunscreen is formulated with non-nano zinc oxide to blend seamlessly into skin without leaving white streaks, protecting you against both UVA and UVB rays. Aloe helps hydrate skin, while antioxidant-rich green tea and blood orange extracts fight free radicals.  This is my favorite for adult skin. (I have sensitive, occasionally acne-prone skin that I’m trying to protect from photodamage as much as possible). BeautyCounter has two stick sunscreens (smaller one for face, larger for body) a liquid sunscreen (what I use everyday) SPF lip balm, and Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer. 

 Here is more info from the BeautyCounter blog!


"Who knew that trying to keep our families safer could be so dangerous? We’ve been educated to protect our skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays during outdoor summer activies. What we didn’t know as consumers is that sun protection is oftentimes veiled behind false claims. Many chemical-based sunscreens aren’t actually blocking dangerous UVA and UVB rays at all. In fact, they contain chemicals to simply prevent a burn so that we’re mistakenly led to think that we’re being protected. No burn, no problem, right? Wrong.

The Environmental Working Group, a consumer protection agency and one of our Trusted Non-Profits, has released their incredibly well-researched Sun Safety Campaign that rights the ship for many sunscreen myths that the general consumer deserves access to. Sections of the report include “The Problem with High SPF“, “Nanoparticles in Sunscreen“, and “Getting Enough Vitamin D“.
It was such a labor of love for us to launch Protect All Over. Our formulas are made with broad spectrum, mineral blocking, non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to create a physical barrier from UVA and UVB rays – no toxic chemicals. We think this is the safest protection under the sun. The EWG thinks so, too: Protect has been selected as one of 2014’s safest sunscreens. Read on for an ingredient-by-ingredient look at some of the super-hero ingredients we love in Protect."


So remember to take care of your family and youself and stay protected from the sun!


Check out BeautyCounter products here!