Is your sunscreen exposing your skin to greater danger? A study on mainstream sunscreen formulas released in May showed most are destroying the skin.
The study evaluated hundreds of the most popular sunscreens on the market today and found nearly half of the products may actually increase the rate at which malignant cells develop! The reason? These formulas contained Vitamin A and Vitamin A derivatives.
As skin care professionals, we know vitamin A and sun don’t mix. Do your clients know what to look out for though? The study found three vitamin A derivatives commonly used in these sun block formulas:
- Retinyl Palmitate
- Retinol
- Retinyl Acetate
While Vitamin A certainly has its place in the defense against aging skin, we know any retinol treatment must be followed with a sunscreen, and to not expose the skin to UVA and UVB rays. Be sure to educate your clients on this extremely important issue.
Chemicals and Sunscreen
Many of the formulas today are also loaded with unhealthy doses of chemicals. While these formulas promise extremely high SPFs, water resistance and all-day wear, they also subject the skin to a laundry list of chemicals, which are absorbed by the body.
Scientific studies have proven that chemical sunscreens have unintended detrimental consequences.
Synthetic chemicals to avoid are:
- 4-methy-benzyldencamphor (4-MBC)
- Oxybenzone
- Benzophenone-3
- Octyl-methoyl-cinnamates (OMC)
- Octyl-dimethyl-para-amin-benzoic Acid (OD-PABA)
- Homosalate (HMS)
Many of the chemical-based sunscreens on the market have very low stability and potentially disrupt the body’s hormone system. Typically, mineral formulas that use zinc, act as a natural reflective shield, blocking the sun’s damaging rays, without injecting the body with harmful chemicals. We have been using ZinClear with all of our formulas that contain zinc.
The following reasons for using ZinClear are:
- ZinClear IM Zinc Oxide Dispersions provide exceptional transparency on the skin from micron-sized zincoxide, even at high usage levels. ZinClear products provide full-spectrum protection from all harmful UV rays.
- ZinClear achieves higher levels of protection without the whitening effect typically associated with zinc oxide-based products. The dispersion is light and non-greasy.
- ZincOxide is mineral based and has a long history of use as being safe andeffective.
- ZinClear is certified as a raw material that is in accordance with Ecological and Organic Cosmetics, enabling it to be in support of “natural product claims”.
In May, I wrote a blog post on “Enjoy the Summer: Cool. Protected. Safe. There are some great tips there on protecting the skin from damaging rays and chemicals. Remember to always opt for an SPF30 and avoid chemical-based formulas. Look for formulas with natural zinc barrier, like the Daytime Defense SPF30 and eZincProtection Cream, and the RAW EnviroProtect,for men. These formulas also combine powerful antioxidants to inhibit free radical damage and may be layered with supportive topicals for extra antioxidant and UV support such as:
Your best defense against sun damage is using intelligent skin care that promotes healthy skin and gives optimum protection.