The Dangers of Chemically Made Sunscreens- New Alternatives

Over the past few years we have been bombarded with messages about the damaging effects of the sun. We've been told that harmful UVA and UVB rays can cause skin cancer even when sun exposure is minimal or on a cloudy day. We are told to slather sunscreen on our bodies year round. Science has proven that sun exposure does have a harmful effect on the skin, and we have heard that message loud and clear, but we haven't heard much about the dangers of sunscreen until recently.

Why is our skin so important?

Our skin is the largest organ on our body which serves as our source of protection especially for our organs. The skin helps to regulate our body temperature and it is made up of three distinct layers. The first layer of our skin is called the epidermis. This layer is the outer portion of our skin where our old skin cells are continually sloughed off. The dermis is directly under the epidermis. The dermis is the layer of skin that you can't actually see. The dermis holds sweat glands, nerve endings and blood vessels. Elastin and collagen are also found within the dermis. The third layer of skin is known as subcutaneous fat. This particular layer of skin is mainly composed of fat which is meant to help your body stay warm, as well as providing you with a cushion. Hair follicles start in this particular layer. Our skin is important because it has so many roles which ensure our survival. How we take care of our skin affects our health, how we age, and our overall appearance.

Toxic effects of traditional sunscreens

Our skin actually absorbs up to 64% of what we put on it. In some ways our skin is a like a sponge soaking up everything from sun, cosmetic products, and lotion on a continual basis. Have you ever stopped to consider what is really in some of the things you put on your skin? While sunscreen does help to protect you skin from the sun, it can also damage your skin in other ways. Many of these chemical sun screens contain ingredients which actually promote free radical damage. Free radicals are molecules, atoms or ions that are un stable because they have an odd number of electrons located in the outer ring. These un stable molecules can cause a person to age an accelerate pace as well as causing other damage to the body including contributing to cancer. We fight free radials through stress reduction, healthy lifestyle habits, and especially eating fruits and vegetables because they are loaded with antioxidants.

Chemical sun screens contain toxic ingredients such as benzophenones, PABA, Cinnamates, digalloyl trioleate, and menthyl anthranilate which encourage free radicals within your body. Some of these chemicals also have estrogenic components that disrupt normal hormone balance, and normal sexual development in young girls. A common chemical found in sunscreen is parsol 1789, which has been linked to cancer and other degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. These are just a few of the things that chemical sun screens can do to your body over time. Slathering your skin in a chemical soup can actually cause more harm than good.

A Healthy Alternative to Chemical based Sunscreen

You can have the best of both worlds by protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun, and avoid putting toxins on your skin by using natural mineral based sunscreens. Mineral based sunscreens are made with micronized minerals such as titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide which help to block out harmful UVA and UVB rays. These sunscreens are wonderful especially for those people who have very sensitive skin. Some companies are also adding skin benefiting ingredients such as aloe vera, shea butter, and vitamins A, C, and E. Rather than harming the skin they actually nourish the skin.

Where to find healthy sunscreens

http://www.sunshop.safeliving.info/safesunproducts.html

www.burtsbees.com

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