Pura Vida Nutrition has moved - searching new blog...

Monday, July 4, 2011

Day 126-Sunsreen, is it really the lifesaver it's said to be?

Here I am enjoying a beautiful 4th of July afternoon by the pool, making sure to reapply my sunscreen so to avoid getting burnt. But what exactly is my sunscreen doing for me? Protecting me from the harmful UVA and UVB rays? Making sure that I don't acquire premature wrinkles? Making sure that I can achieve that golden tan that I want without the painful side effects of a sun burn?

We have been told that we must protect our skin from the harmful rays of the sun, in order to protect against skin cancer. But what we are not made aware of is that sunscreen may be just as harmful to us. For example, ALL sunscreen blocks the body's ability to produce vitamin D. In fact, sunscreens can reduce vitamin D production by as much as 97.5 to 99.9 percent.

Anyone who has purchased a bottle of sunscreen knows that they are not exactly cheap. Well, what might surprise you (at least it did to me) is who makes a profit from the sales of sunscreen. According to Dr. Mercola's website:

Sunscreens are enormously profitable for the companies that produce them, and thus there’s a strong incentive for them to continue and expand their disinformation campaigns to increase their market share even further. Portions of their revenue are in turn given to the cancer industry, which aids them in perpetuating the campaign. And while it’s true that you want to avoid sunburn, the ingredients used in most commercially available sunscreens are questionable at best. As you’ll see, many of them can cause more damage than they prevent.

The sun produces two main wavelengths, UVA and UVB. UVB wavelengths help your bodies to produce vitamin D. Whereas UVA wavelengths penetrate the skin more deeply, which can cause more free radical damage, and are prominent constantly throughout the day all year round, unlike UVB, which is found to be low in the morning and evening and high midday.

I'm looking at the last bottle of sunscreen I bought from the drugstore and am a little disappointed in what I have learned it contains. Banana Boat, Sport Performance, SPF 30. I also took a look at Neutrogena and some other generic brands, which contained the exact same active ingredients.
Active ingredients: Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, and Oxybenzone. I highlighted below in red what research has found for each of these ingredients.

Potential dangers found in sunscreen according to the Enviromental Working Group's Skin Deep website:
  • Octinoxate (Octyl Methoxycinnamate) - The most widely used sunscreen ingredient, known for its low potential to sensitize skin or act as a photoallergen. Estrogenic effects are noted in laboratory animals as well as disruption of thyroid hormone and brain signaling. Has been found to kill mouse cells even at low doses when exposed to sunlight!
  • Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3) - Associated with photoallergic reactions. This chemical absorbs through your skin in significant amounts. It contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to Centers from Disease Control research. Health concerns include hormone disruption and cancer.
  • Octisalate - Octisalate is a weak UVB absorber with a generally good safety profile among sunscreen ingredients. It is a penetration enhancer, which may increase the amount of other igredients passing through the skin.
  • Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) - Primarily a UVA-absorbing agent, sunlight causes this unstable ingredient to break down into unknown chemicals, especially in the presence of another active, Octinoxate.
  • Octocrylene - Produces oxygen radicals when exposed to UV light.
  • Homosalate - Research indicates it is a weak hormone disruptor, forms toxic metabolites, and can enhance the penetration of a toxic herbicide.
  • Micronized Titanium Dioxide - Sunscreens with micronized titanium dioxide may contain nanoparticles. Micronized Ti02 offers greater sun protection than conventional (larger) particles. These small particles do not penetrate skin but may be more toxic to living cells and the environment. Inhalation of powders and sprays is a concern.
  • Micronized Zinc Oxide - Same as Micronized Titanium Dioxide above.
  • Titanium Dioxide - Appears safe for use on skin, due to low penetration but inhalation is a concern.
  • Ensulizole (Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid) - Known to produce free radicals when exposed to sunlight, leading to damage of DNA, this UVB protector may have the potential to cause cancer.
  • Nano Zinc Oxide - Nano zinc oxide offers greater sun protection than larger zinc particles. Comparatively little is known regarding potential health effects of nanoparticles. They do not penetrate healthy skin, and thus appear to pose a low health risk in lotions. Inhalation of powders and sprays is a concern.
  • Nano Titanium Dioxide - Same as Nano Zinc Oxide, above.
  • Zinc Oxide - Zinc has a long history of use in sunscreen and other skin care products; little absorption and no adverse health effects are reported.
  • Padimate O (Octyl Dimethyl PABA/PABA Ester) - A derivative of the once-popular PABA sunscreen ingredient, research shows this chemical releases free radicals, damages DNA, has estrogenic activity, and causes allergic reactions in some people.
  • Menthyl Anthranilate- 1 study found that it produces damaging reactive oxygen species when exposed to sunlight.
  • Mexoryl SX - 2 hours of sunlight can degrade as much as 40% of this active ingredient. Low skin penetration.
  • Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol - Not an approved active ingredient in the U.S. Few studies exist on this chemical. It is photostable and does not absorb through your skin.
  • Sulisobenzone (Benzophenone-4) - Can cause skin and eye irritation. Does not penetrate your skin to a large degree, but enhances the ability of other chemicals to penetrate.
  • Benzophenone-2 - Not approved for use in United States sunscreens. Concerns about hormone disruption.
Below I have listed some brands that are safer sunscreens, according to Skin Deep:
To read more about the dangers of sunscren, I recommend taking a look at Dr. Mercola's article or an article on CNN

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Posted by at
Labels:

1 comment:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Monday, July 4, 2011

Day 126-Sunsreen, is it really the lifesaver it's said to be?

Here I am enjoying a beautiful 4th of July afternoon by the pool, making sure to reapply my sunscreen so to avoid getting burnt. But what exactly is my sunscreen doing for me? Protecting me from the harmful UVA and UVB rays? Making sure that I don't acquire premature wrinkles? Making sure that I can achieve that golden tan that I want without the painful side effects of a sun burn?

We have been told that we must protect our skin from the harmful rays of the sun, in order to protect against skin cancer. But what we are not made aware of is that sunscreen may be just as harmful to us. For example, ALL sunscreen blocks the body's ability to produce vitamin D. In fact, sunscreens can reduce vitamin D production by as much as 97.5 to 99.9 percent.

Anyone who has purchased a bottle of sunscreen knows that they are not exactly cheap. Well, what might surprise you (at least it did to me) is who makes a profit from the sales of sunscreen. According to Dr. Mercola's website:

Sunscreens are enormously profitable for the companies that produce them, and thus there’s a strong incentive for them to continue and expand their disinformation campaigns to increase their market share even further. Portions of their revenue are in turn given to the cancer industry, which aids them in perpetuating the campaign. And while it’s true that you want to avoid sunburn, the ingredients used in most commercially available sunscreens are questionable at best. As you’ll see, many of them can cause more damage than they prevent.

The sun produces two main wavelengths, UVA and UVB. UVB wavelengths help your bodies to produce vitamin D. Whereas UVA wavelengths penetrate the skin more deeply, which can cause more free radical damage, and are prominent constantly throughout the day all year round, unlike UVB, which is found to be low in the morning and evening and high midday.

I'm looking at the last bottle of sunscreen I bought from the drugstore and am a little disappointed in what I have learned it contains. Banana Boat, Sport Performance, SPF 30. I also took a look at Neutrogena and some other generic brands, which contained the exact same active ingredients.
Active ingredients: Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, and Oxybenzone. I highlighted below in red what research has found for each of these ingredients.

Potential dangers found in sunscreen according to the Enviromental Working Group's Skin Deep website:
  • Octinoxate (Octyl Methoxycinnamate) - The most widely used sunscreen ingredient, known for its low potential to sensitize skin or act as a photoallergen. Estrogenic effects are noted in laboratory animals as well as disruption of thyroid hormone and brain signaling. Has been found to kill mouse cells even at low doses when exposed to sunlight!
  • Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3) - Associated with photoallergic reactions. This chemical absorbs through your skin in significant amounts. It contaminates the bodies of 97% of Americans according to Centers from Disease Control research. Health concerns include hormone disruption and cancer.
  • Octisalate - Octisalate is a weak UVB absorber with a generally good safety profile among sunscreen ingredients. It is a penetration enhancer, which may increase the amount of other igredients passing through the skin.
  • Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) - Primarily a UVA-absorbing agent, sunlight causes this unstable ingredient to break down into unknown chemicals, especially in the presence of another active, Octinoxate.
  • Octocrylene - Produces oxygen radicals when exposed to UV light.
  • Homosalate - Research indicates it is a weak hormone disruptor, forms toxic metabolites, and can enhance the penetration of a toxic herbicide.
  • Micronized Titanium Dioxide - Sunscreens with micronized titanium dioxide may contain nanoparticles. Micronized Ti02 offers greater sun protection than conventional (larger) particles. These small particles do not penetrate skin but may be more toxic to living cells and the environment. Inhalation of powders and sprays is a concern.
  • Micronized Zinc Oxide - Same as Micronized Titanium Dioxide above.
  • Titanium Dioxide - Appears safe for use on skin, due to low penetration but inhalation is a concern.
  • Ensulizole (Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid) - Known to produce free radicals when exposed to sunlight, leading to damage of DNA, this UVB protector may have the potential to cause cancer.
  • Nano Zinc Oxide - Nano zinc oxide offers greater sun protection than larger zinc particles. Comparatively little is known regarding potential health effects of nanoparticles. They do not penetrate healthy skin, and thus appear to pose a low health risk in lotions. Inhalation of powders and sprays is a concern.
  • Nano Titanium Dioxide - Same as Nano Zinc Oxide, above.
  • Zinc Oxide - Zinc has a long history of use in sunscreen and other skin care products; little absorption and no adverse health effects are reported.
  • Padimate O (Octyl Dimethyl PABA/PABA Ester) - A derivative of the once-popular PABA sunscreen ingredient, research shows this chemical releases free radicals, damages DNA, has estrogenic activity, and causes allergic reactions in some people.
  • Menthyl Anthranilate- 1 study found that it produces damaging reactive oxygen species when exposed to sunlight.
  • Mexoryl SX - 2 hours of sunlight can degrade as much as 40% of this active ingredient. Low skin penetration.
  • Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol - Not an approved active ingredient in the U.S. Few studies exist on this chemical. It is photostable and does not absorb through your skin.
  • Sulisobenzone (Benzophenone-4) - Can cause skin and eye irritation. Does not penetrate your skin to a large degree, but enhances the ability of other chemicals to penetrate.
  • Benzophenone-2 - Not approved for use in United States sunscreens. Concerns about hormone disruption.
Below I have listed some brands that are safer sunscreens, according to Skin Deep:
To read more about the dangers of sunscren, I recommend taking a look at Dr. Mercola's article or an article on CNN

Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP

Posted by at
Labels:

1 comment:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)