Is your Sunscreen Harming Your Health?

It's officially summer, so I am sure you are stocking up on sunscreen for your hikes, trips to the pool and  beach vacations!  Have you ever considered that the sunscreen that you’re currently using on yourself and your kiddos is actually doing more harm than good?

What you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it!  Your skin is your largest organ, and can absorb much of what we put on it.   That includes the harmful chemicals typically found in personal care products, including sunscreens. These toxic ingredients get into your bloodstream and disrupt your immune system and endocrine system...hormones!!! 

Many personal care products and many popular sunscreens contain an alarming number of harmful ingredients.  (Did you know the European Union Bans over 1400 ingredients in the industry and the United States has only banned 30 to date!!)  Last month, The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released their 2018 Guide to Sunscreens, which includes a list of which chemicals to avoid and their recommendations for the safest brands. To make safe and educated decisions this season, check sunscreen labels for the six most common and concerning ingredients below.

1. Oxybenzone – absorbs and filters UV light and is therefore one of the most common ingredients in chemical sunscreens.  It penetrates the skin at very high rates and acts like estrogen once it enters your bloodstream, disrupting your endocrine system...wreaking havoc on your hormones!  It undergoes a chemical reaction when exposed to UV rays. When oxybenzone is absorbed by your skin, it can cause an eczema-like allergic reaction as well.  This ingredient is also killing our coral reefs and will be banned in Hawaii in 2020!!

2. Octinoxate –  also disrupts your endocrine system, affecting  hormonal activity, reproductive system and your thyroid. Octinoxate may actually be a culprit for premature aging, as it produces free radicals that can damage skin and cells. This ingredient is also contributing to the destruction of our coral reefs and will also be banned in Hawaii.

3. Homosalate – another common ingredient that disrupts hormone balance. It can accumulate in your body faster than your body can detoxify it through your liver, lingering in your body and increasing your toxic burden.

4. Octocrylene – when exposed to UV light, it absorbs the rays and produces oxygen radicals that can damage cells and cause mutations. It is readily absorbed by your skin and may accumulate within your body in measurable amounts. 

5. Retinyl Palmitate – A form of Vitamin A. It's function in sunscreen is to improve the product's performance against the aging effects of UV exposure.  However, certain forms of vitamin A found in sunscreens—namely retinyl palmitate can be cause for concern. When exposed to the sun's UV rays, retinol compounds break down and produce destructive free radicals that are toxic to cells, damage DNA, and may lead to cancer.  Yikes!!  This is found in many face creams too!

6. Parabens – are commonly added to cosmetics and personal care products to prevent the growth of bacteria and serve as a preservative. Like many of the ingredients above, they disrupt hormones, potentially leading to increased risk of breast cancer and reproductive toxicity.  The European Union has already banned 5 types of parabens and the FDA is under pressure to ban them in the U.S.  Fingers crossed!

My Favorite Safe Sunscreens

Beautycounter is my favorite and most trusted brand for sunscreen and personal care products.  I love their commitment to transparency of ingredients, strict ingredient screening process and their commitment to not only safe products, but to high performing products too!! Beautycounter’s line of sunscreens has consistently been on EWG's sunscreen guide, meaning they are safe and pose very low-hazard. 

The mineral-based sunscreens are available in a lotion, stick and mist (non aerosol) and a lightly tinted moisturizer.  They are made with non nano zinc oxide and ingredients such as antioxidant-rich California poppy.  These sunscreens are blocking blue light rays as well!! (It is now being discovered that blue light might be just as damaging to the skin as UVA and UVB rays!!) They are water-resistant and free of preservatives, allergens, and chemicals that can damage coral reefs–so they are safe for the environment too!  The mist and stick makes it very easy to apply to your kiddos!  All three products go on easy and fully rub in so you aren't left looking like a ghost!!  

Badger is another great brand that I trust.  They have an assortment of sunscreen products as well, but they come with a downfall.  They don't rub in as well and leave you white!   If that doesn't matter to you, then grab a bottle of this at Whole Foods the next time you're there!

Have a Happy & Healthy Summer!  

PS...If you would like to learn more about all my favorite safer skincare products, please join my Better Beauty ~ Safer Skincare email list!!  i’ll send you occasional e-mails on education, new products, special incentives and giveaways (freebies!) on my favorite safer skincare, cleaner cosmetics, and healthy living products.  For the next couple of weeks I am giving away 10 of my favorite products shown below!  All you have to do is join the list to be entered to win!!  You can see all the details in my Instagram Story Highlights!  Only 2 products have been claimed!! I will be announcing 3 more winners this weekend, including the winner of the Beautycounter Sunscreen Mist!!

Switch to Safer in 2017: My Favorite Clean Personal Care Products

It's that time of year again when most of us have set new goals, resolutions, intentions or whatever you may call them. I love the feel of January and the freshness it brings, but I am not really a resolution person.  I believe you can start fresh and new any day, week or month of the year and should evaluate often, not just at the start of the year.  I wish you all the best with your goals for those that set them January 1st or for those that set them throughout the year!

It's also that time of year when you are hearing and reading about the latest detox, juice cleanse and diets for the New Year, I ask you to also consider a different "detox".  A detox of your personal care products, a detox for the outside of your body...for your skin, your largest organ! 

According to Environmental Working Group, personal care products include up to 10,500 unique chemical ingredients, most of which are suspected carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and include dangerous substances like coal tar and formaldehyde.

And while Europe has banned 1,400 of these harmful ingredients, the U.S. has only banned thirty...30! (What?!)  It was just 11 a few months ago, but earlier this year the FDA restricted triclosan and 18 other chemicals used in “antibacterial” soaps. This was a small victory that partially restricts anti-bacterial chemicals from hand soaps, but doesn’t address the use of these ingredients in cosmetics, toothpaste and other applications.

This means companies are allowed to use known toxins—ingredients that have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, and hormone disruption—without even disclosing these ingredients to us! Seems crazy, right?  Personally this makes me mad!

The biggest ah-ha of it all? That at least 60% of what you put on your body seeps into your skin and is absorbed by your cells. Every. Single. Day.  

And this. Adds. Up.

This may not be a wake up call to you. You may very well know that your favorite lipstick and daily face serum aren’t necessarily made from the cleanest of ingredients.  And you’ve probably thought about making the switch to clean products. But, where do you even start in making this kind of change?

Luckily, it's not all doom and gloom. There are some great companies working hard to create safer skincare products and to change the industry. And, these products work just as well or better than the department store brands we have learned to love! 

How do you start working thru your beauty collection that you spent so long (and so much money) building?!

And, what’s more; how do you have time to research better products that actually do the job!? I've gotcha covered!! Below I share 14 (pictured above) of my many swaps I have made over the years.  Believe me when I say that if I can do it, you can too!!   I was using fabulous brands that I didn't think I could part with...and the change has been easier than I imagined and it feels so rewarding and liberating to know I am using safe products!  

There's a tool I highly recommend you all use for not only personal care products, but for food, cleaning and laundry supplies as well! EWG (Environmental Working Group) has developed their free Healthy Living app that allows you to scan the bar code of products with your phone's camera.  It will then give you a rating for that product from 1-10 indicating what ingredients are of concern and how they may relate to cancer, reproductive health and allergies.  This is super handy for the next time you are at Target and need to buy deodorant...scan away to find the safest option!  I always shoot for a rating of 1, 2 or 3 and it must not have any reproductive or cancer concerning ingredients.

Here are some of my favorite brands and swaps I have made over the years.  

Sunscreen: Beautycounter's sunstick is my go to as it's a mineral based sunscreen.  I love the ease of a stick and the fact that the zinc can't separate since it's a solid.  It comes in a body and face size.  The smaller face size is so great to keep in your purse, golf bag or ski jacket!

Nail Polish: Cote based out of Santa Monica is a safe nail salon with a line of polishes that includes a TON of color options! I love getting my toes done, but not all the harmful products that can come along with it.  I take all of my own stuff to get pedicures including my own colors.

Teeth Whitening and Strengthening: Smart Ash from Bedrock and Bloom is an all natural tooth whitening powder that's actually good for your teeth.  It contains activated charcoal, bentonite clay and more to clean, detoxify, whiten, reduce sensitivity, strengthen and restore. I dip my toothbrush with paste on it into the ash and brush a couple times a week with it.  Teeth Whitening can also be as simple as hydrogen peroxide.  I so often get asked what I use to whiten my teeth.  Hydrogen peroxide swished around morning and night is my secret!!!  It also kills bacteria.

Face Wash: Nourishing Cream Cleanser is a cleanser and a toner all in one.  I love the simplicity of this cleanser and that it does not contain any fragrance, lathering agents or parabens that other cleansers may contain.

Body Lotion: Alba's Unscented Original Body Lotion is the most moisturizing body lotion I have found!  Make sure you buy the unscented or the safe factor goes away because of the synthetic fragrance and the dangers that come along with that!!

Foundation: Tint Skin Full Coverage Foundation replaced my favorite...Armani Luminous Silk Foundation.  I wasn't sure I could give that up, but it was easy with this moisturizing rich formula! I love the coverage and how it performs...stays on all day or night!  Did you now cosmetics are a big source of heavy metals and companies aren't require to test for them?  Beautycounter batch tests for metals every time for every cosmetic product!!!!

Deodorant: Piper Wai activated charcoal deodorant is the best I have found!  It now comes in a stick...so much easier than the paste!  It is free of aluminum and synthetic fragrance.

Lip Gloss and Lipstick is a must to switch to safe since you basically eat it all day long!  Lead is often found in these products.  I love these glosses and lipsticks that rate safe on the EWG app! There are so many great colors to choose from and they are very moisturizing.

Toothpaste typically contains fluoride and some other nasty things...not something I want in my body!  I switched to Earth Paste and it only consists of 5 simple ingredients.  No Glycerin, fluoride, foaming agents, artificial colors,  It' simply water, redmond clay, real salt , xylitol and essential oils.  I prefer the peppermint flavor.

Dry Shampoo is a must when you don't wash your hair every day...or every other day!  I love Monat's Dry Shampoo!!  It's derived from plant based ingredients and reduces the greasy look!

Body Soap can often contain synthetic fragrance, SLS and artificial colors.  I've found my skin prefers simple soap and Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap is my favorite!

Mascara is a tough one as it's such a personal choice.  It is so hard to find a safe brand that lasts, doesn't run and provides length and fullness.  Beautycounter's Lengthening Mascara won Allure's Best of Natural Beauty Award this past year and rightfully so!  It lengthens and lasts all day!!  It is hard to get off, but I can deal with that as long as it lasts all day!!

Lip Conditioner:  It's amazing how less chapped your lips are when you don't use petroleum based products!!  Keep in mind that anything you put on your lips, generally gets in your mouth! This Calendula Lip Conditioner is my favorite...I have one next to my bed and one in my purse!

I hope this is helpful!  Start with a few items and go from there!  Don't try to change everything at once or you'll be totally overwhelmed!!  If you need other suggestions, please comment below and I will try to help!!

XO