But wait, aren't you applying sunscreen to prevent cancer?
Did you know that chemical sunscreens create byproducts? They're called free radicals, and they're associated with cancer.
But wait, aren't you applying sunscreen to prevent cancer? Counterproductive doesn't even begin to cover it.
There are alternatives to conventional sunscreen, and believe me - that's not something they're going to tell you on the label.
Switching to a mineral sunscreen (safe sunscreen that uses minerals like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) provides you with plenty of protection from the sun without exposing you to harmful ingredients.
Mineral sunscreens have become increasingly popular because, simply put, they are the better choice for you and the environment.
Mineral sunscreens sit atop the skin, rather than fully absorbing and entering the bloodstream like chemical sunscreens.
They employ natural ingredients to protect skin from sun damage, rather than chemicals that cause harm to us and the ocean's coral reefs.
To determine whether a sunscreen is truly a mineral sunscreen, look for the active ingredients to be Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. These are naturally occurring minerals from the Earth, and provide broad spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection.
SPF 30 sunscreens block 97% of UVB rays — the dangerous ones that give us a nasty sunburn.
SPF 50 will block about 98%, and that’s where we draw the line. No sunscreen is going to protect your skin completely — which is exactly why sunscreens that claim they have more than SPF 50, can be misleading.
For instance, a sunscreen labeled “SPF 100” will not offer double the amount of sun protection than an SPF 50 sunscreen, and it certainly doesn’t mean you can spend more time outdoors in the sun when using a high-SPF sunscreen.
All sunscreens need to used and reapplied in the exact same manner. Good rule of thumb is to reapply every two hours.
I highly recommend Osmosis’s Ultra Sheer mineral sunscreen moisturizer. This smooth non-sticky spf moisturizer is infused with natural Grapefruit and sunflower seed oil and is a reef-safe, non-nano, coated zinc oxide-based sunscreen that offers sheer, long-lasting, and broad-spectrum coverage.