Is Your Sunscreen Really Safe?

It is officially summertime and I am over the moon jazzed about it! Hello long summer nights, BBQ’s and weekends by the pool! 

I’ve lived in California long enough now that my Washington skin has finally acclimated to the concept of “the sun”, but my Scandinavian genes still have me reaching for SPF 50. Where my pasty gals at?!

Last summer, I started researching what sunscreen to buy for a big trip to Hawaii and I was little taken back by what I found. “Wait that's how sunscreen works? And those ingredients cause what?!” I found myself making a mad dash to Target to find a safer alternative. 

First things first, there are 2 types of sunscreen: Chemical & Mineral. The majority of sunscreens on the market, like Coppertone and Hawaiian Tropic, use a chemical UV filter that penetrate the skin and absorb the sun’s rays to prevent sunburn. Who knew?

The problem is that the chemicals being absorbed into the skin have the potential to do some serious damage in our bodies! The two most common chemicals found in most sunscreens are Oxybenzone and Oxtinoxate, both of which have been found to mimic estrogen in the body and wreak havoc on the hormone system. In women this could potentially look like endometriosis and low birth weight in female babies. Oxybenzone has also been found to be transferred through a mother’s breast milk. Seriously, crazy stuff! And in men, these chemicals have shown to lower testosterone levels and even decrease sperm levels. These are not chemicals you want to mess around with!

So maybe you’re thinking, “why are these chemicals allowed?!” Excellent question! Here’s the deal: According to the Environmental Working Group, the FDA has not reviewed the potential hazards of chemical sunscreen, but simply grandfathered in what was deemed as safe in 1970. Yeah, as in almost 40 years ago; that 1970!

But don’t lose hope just yet, because you can take back control of your health and your body by using a mineral sunscreen! Mineral Sunscreen works by reflecting the sun’s UV rays off of the skin, as opposed to absorbing them like a chemical UV filter. The 2 main minerals used are Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. Remember these names, there will be a quiz! Just kidding, but you might want to reference them next time you're stocking up on sunscreen at Target.

I’m currently using this mineral sunscreen and loving it (plus, it smells like pineapples if you’re into that kind of deliciousness)! I’ve also used Pacifica’s spray sunscreen and I'm dying to try this Coconut Body Butter Sunscreen that has bronzer in it *insert all the heart eye emojis here*!

Thanks so much for reading, gal pal! I hope your summer is filled with cute pool floaties, fruity drinks and no sunburns!