Why I Ditched Toxic Sunscreen and Switched to Mineral Sunblock
When I heard that sunscreen causes cancer, I stopped using it. Cold Turkey.
It was at the beginning of my hormone healing education, and everything I was learning about the toxins, carcinogens, and endocrine disrupting xenoestrogens in our skincare and household products made it easy to believe that something that was being marketed as cancer prevention was actually causing the disease.
Plus, I was learning about the importance of Vitamin D from the sun and the many other health benefits of sun exposure. Altogether, the decision was easy.
Years later, when I got interested in developing the absolute best skincare ritual for me–– beyond the work I’d already done to eradicated endocrine-disrupting ingredients from my beauty cabinet––I could not ignore that everyone, from dermatologists to estheticians to respected clean holistic living evangelists, insisted on safeguarding your skin with sunscreen.
So, slowly, and relying on my education and top resources, I returned to the world of sun care.
In today’s blog, I’m going to shine a light on sunscreen––from carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting ingredients to avoid, to my tested, recommended sunblock picks.
Table of Contents
If you’re ready to protect your skin, your hormones, and the nearest coral reef, read on.
The difference between chemical and mineral sunscreen
Chemical and mineral sunscreens both shield the sun, but their methods, and your potential long-term-use health outcomes, are quite different.
Chemical sunscreens provide sun protection by using chemicals like oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and avobenzone to absorb UV rays.
Mineral sunscreens provide a physical layer of protection using the ingredients zinc or titanium dioxide to block UV rays. That’s why mineral sunscreens are also called sun block, because they are physically “blocking” the sun.
But when it comes to chemical sunscreens, it's essential to be aware of the risks associated with these products.
Let's look into the world of chemical sunscreens to better understand why making the switch to mineral sunblock is the healthiest choice for you.
Toxic Ingredients in Chemical Sunscreens
Chemical Sunscreens and Cancer
Recently, Johnson and Johnson recalled five NEUTROGENA® and AVEENO® sunscreen product lines. Why? They contained a known carcinogen: benzene. And they weren’t the only ones.
Valisure, a laboratory providing independent quality assurance, found levels of benzene in sunscreen products from La Roche Posay, Banana Boat, CVS Health, Walgreen, Raw Elements, Babygenics, and more.
In their report Valisure states:
“FDA currently recognizes the high danger of [benzene] and lists it as a “Class 1 solvent” that “should not be employed in the manufacture of drug substances, excipients, and drug products because of their unacceptable toxicity ... However, if their use is unavoidable in order to produce a drug product with a significant therapeutic advance, then their levels should be restricted”
Note: Benzene is not unavoidable in order to create a product that provides the therapeutic advance of sun protection. Even if it was, the recalled sunscreens from these major companies had benzene levels above the restricted amounts.
The Valisure report goes on to state:
“benzene is associated with certain blood cancers such as leukemia, and recent studies by FDA researchers have shown that significant amounts of sunscreen ingredients absorb through the skin and are found in the blood; specifically, over 400 times the threshold for systemic carcinogenicity assessment for at least one sunscreen active ingredient.”
“Systemic carcinogenicity assessment” is a way to evaluate the potential of a device material to cause malignant cells to grow. Valisure is saying significant amounts of sunscreen ingredients are found in the blood at over 400 times the threshold of potential malignant cell development.
What’s worse––benzene was not listed on the label. None of the companies have reported how this ingredient got into their product.
In addition to benzene, the FDA has also been asked to remove all sunscreens containing octocrylene.
Why?
According to Yale Medicine:
They go on to state that: “About 2,400 sun-protection products contain the ingredient.”
And benzene and octocrylene are not the only ingredients found in chemical sunscreens that are proving to be toxic to humans.
Chemical Sunscreen’s Hormone-Toxic Ingredients
Chemical sunscreens also use hormone-toxic endocrine-disrupting ingredients like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and homosalate.
Hormone-specialist and cycle-synching pioneer Alisa Vitti, who was the first woman I studied from when I started my clean beauty journey, writes in her book Women Code:
“Exposure to endocrine disruptors (chemicals that interfere with the production, release, transport, metabolism, or elimination of the body’s natural hormones) can occur through air, water, soil, food, and consumer products. These disruptors can mimic naturally occurring hormones, potentially causing overproduction and underproduction of actual hormones. They block the way natural hormones and their receptors are made or controlled.”
Though endocrine-disruptors are often attributed to disrupting the hormonal health in females, the EWG reports, “in an evaluation of CDC-collected exposure data for American children, researchers found that adolescent boys with higher oxybenzone measurements had much lower total testosterone levels.”
In my free clean beauty eBook and product guide, Dew You: Design Your Complete Clean Beauty Skincare Routine, I go deeper on endocrine disrupting ingredients, and how to avoid them.
With chemical sunscreen, it’s important to know, these harmful ingredients don’t just wash off in the shower.
The EWG further reports:
“The ingredients oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and avobenzone are all systemically absorbed into the body after one use, according to [studies] published by the FDA. The agency also found they could be detected on the skin and in the blood weeks after they had last been used.
Other studies have reported finding sunscreen ingredients in breast milk, urine and blood plasma samples.”
And lets not forgot our environment. Oxybenzone and octinoxate were recently banned in Key West and Hawaii due to their toxic effects on marine ecosystems.
Don’t Get Burned. Download Your Free Toxic-Free Product Guide
The Good News
The good news is: we don’t need to expose our environment and bodies to harmful toxins in order to get sun protection. We can choose to use mineral sunblock.
Embracing Mineral Sunblock
Embracing mineral sunblock can offer you a natural and effective way to shield your skin from harmful UV rays without the worry of harsh chemicals.
These sunscreens offer broad-spectrum protection, meaning they defend against both UVA and UVB rays. Mineral formulas are less likely to cause irritation or allergic reactions, making them ideal for those with skin sensitivities. Additionally, mineral sunblocks are reef-safe, which means their ingredients don’t contribute to coral reef damage.
By opting for mineral sunblock, you're not only protecting your skin but also the ocean ecosystem.
But, of course, not all mineral sunblocks are created equal. Here’s what to look for when choosing yours.
Choosing the Right Mineral Sunblock
Nano-particles, and why you want to avoid them
We already discussed how mineral sunblock protects with zinc and/or titanium dioxide.
But you want mineral-based sunblocks with non-nano mineral active ingredients––non-nano zinc, and non-nano titanium dioxide.
Nano, or nanoparticles, are tiny particles that are one-twentieth the width of a human hair, that can be absorbed into the skin and enter the bloodstream.
We don’t want nano that.
They’re used because of their ability to blend––mineral sunscreens are notorious for causing a white or grey cast on the skin. The truth is, finding an option that works for you without the white or grey cast could take some trial and error.
The non-nano mineral sunblocks I’ve used and recommend below, I find have the least amount of cast. When there is some cast, it blends well under make-up.
A note on spray sunblock
“Because of the potential of exposure through inhalation, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified titanium dioxide as possibly causing cancer in humans. For this reason, powdered or spray formulations containing titanium dioxide are a concern. Zinc oxide is also a cause for inhalation concerns when used in spray and powder products”
So when choosing your mineral sunscreen, avoid sprays and powders, especially those containing titanium dioxide. If it’s absolutely unavoidable to use a spray or powder, be aware and mindful, and don’t inhale.
Mineral Sunblock Recommendations
Now that we’ve broken down why, and how, to choose a mineral sunblock, here are my recommendations for the face and body.
Mineral sunblocks for the face
Mineral Sunblocks that I have used and recommend:
Kinship Self Reflect Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 32 $28
Award-winning, bestselling, priming and moisturizing sunscreen. Gives a nice finishing glow.
Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30 Tinted $60
Plant-nutrient packed dual moisturizer and sunscreen. One of my favorites.
Mineral sunblocks for the body
For the body I am a huge fan of Badger Sunblocks. Now, Badger is truly clear. I’ve used both of these on my face, but not often enough to guarantee that it won’t clog pores. I haven’t used Seaweed Bath and Co for the body, but I do vouch for the brand.
Badger Sport Mineral Sunscreen Cream SPF 50 $15.29
Starts out oily, but this one will matte down some. This is pretty thick, though.
Badger Daily Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 $21
This one is on the oilier side, but it does calm down after a bit.
In conclusion
When shopping for your perfect sun protection, keep your health, hormones, and the environment in mind.
Ignore chemical sunscreens
Avoid nano-particles
Use sun block spray and powders with caution
To press the easy button:
Choose from the above recommends!
And if you want to take your complete clean beauty skincare routine to the next level, checkout my free ebook and audio masterclass: Dew You: Design Your Complete Skincare Beauty Routine.
Your skin will thank you!
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