Skip to main content

The Longest Day: Could sunscreen give you cancer?

beach sea isle city NJ
The Summer Solstice. It's the day with the longest amount of sunlight. It has to be one of my favorite days of the year!

 We will need to apply a lot of sunscreen with all those hours of sunlight.

 We know too much sun exposure is not safe, but is sunscreen actually safe?

Summertime is when we really need to step up on our sunscreen usage to protect our skin from skin cancer and premature aging.

 I have heard and am hearing again that chemicals in your sunscreen undergo changes when they are exposed to UV rays. You may have seen an article about it recently, too. 

 Some ingredients oxidize and release damaging free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules with unpaired electrons that attack normal molecules to steal electrons they need. They turn a healthy molecule into an unstable free radical starting a chain reaction damaging cells increasing the risk of cancer.

The link below is an article about research done on zinc oxide and how it changes when exposed to sunlight. It was done on lung cells however, not skin cells.

 Read:Could sunscreen be giving you skin cancer?

Don't Panic! I started to panic myself! But I remembered, we have a weapon to fight free radicals, anti-oxidants!

 Anti-oxidants repair and prevent cell damage by donating one or more molecules to an unstable free radical stopping the chain reaction. The anti-oxidant remains stable even though it gave up one electron or more. 

 According to Coppertone Solar Research Center, the use of anti-oxidants in sunscreens reduces free radical formation by 74% when skin is exposed to UV light. Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant frequently used in sunscreen. It will help protect skin cells from free radicals.

Many sunscreens now contain anti-oxidants including my favorites Ocean Potion, Hawaiian Tropic and the organic Badger Sunscreens and Goddess Garden sunscreens. Read your labels. Look for the anti-oxidants. Here are some that are frequently found in sunscreens.

Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
Ascorbic Acid ( Vitamin C)
Cholescalcifferol Acid (Vitamin D3)
Olive Oil
Soy
You can get beneficial antioxidant from the foods you eat too.
berries
Eating foods rich in anti-oxidants will provide extra protection, too. It is easy to do especially in the summer. Fruits, veggies and beans are full of antioxidant compounds. 

 Some of the top anti-oxidant foods include kidney, black and pinto beans, berries, artichoke hearts, apples, pecans, cherries, plums and russet potatoes.

 It is important to use sunscreen daily to help prevent skin cancer and pre mature aging of the skin. The benefits of wearing sunscreen far outweigh the risk! So don't worry. Keep wearing sunscreen.
       Have a Happy Healthy Skin Day! 
xo
Jill
Licensed Cosmetologist, Esthetician, Makeup Artist

 Wedding, special occasion or everyday makeup and skin care services available in the Philadelphia, Pa. area. Visit my makeup page for more information!

PS: Thanks for using my amazon & direct links💋
I receive a small commission that keeps my blog running and supports the care of animals in need!😸

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

White Bumps Under Eyes: Milia

Have you noticed that you have little white looking bumps under your eyes? Some people call it chicken skin because the bumps look like plucked chicken skin. 🐔 Most likely those little white bumps are milia. They can feel hard or pearly. These bumps are not acne. Milia can occur when dead skin cells become trapped beneath the outer layer of skin. Keratin becomes trapped and builds up. A small benign cyst can form which is the milia. It's a cyst!?! Don't let that word scare you. They are harmless, but unwanted bumps.  They can occur on any area of the skin that tends to be on the dry side. They cannot be squeezed out like a blackhead or pimple because they have no opening. A layer of skin covers them. A hole must be created in them using a needle, then they can be extracted out. Read more about blackhead, whiteheads and blind pimples This is a common problem for the under-eye area. It is a dry, delicate area of the skin. I see it a lot on my clients. Heavy products
Post a Comment
Read more

Why does my lipstick change color on my lips?

So, you found a gorgeous shade of peachy nude lipstick.... right on trend. It looks amazing in the lipstick tube but when you put it on, it turns orange within 15 minutes!  It happens to me all the time. Pigments in the lipstick react with the chemistry of the skin and change color. This color shift is due to the pH of the skin. Our skin has an acidic pH of 4.5 to 5.5. It varies slightly from person to person which is why lipstick changes on some people and not others.  The oil, sweat and bacteria on our skin create a protective layer called the acid mantle with its pH of 4.5 to 5.5. The acid mantle can change due to how we treat our skin.  The skin pH can change due to the environment.  The sun, as well as pollution, can affect skin's pH.  What we eat can affect the pH of our skin.  Sweating and cosmetic products can also change pH.  The skin will always try to get back to 4.5-5.5 no matter how we abuse it.  Use gentle pH balanced skin care products, eat a healthy diet w
Post a Comment
Read more

Dermatofibromas

This post is all about dermatofibromas and some remedies to help make them look better and ways hide them. It includes my Amazon Affiliate Links to help you find the products I talk about. Q. I have this brown bump on my leg that won't go away. What can I do about it? A. It could be a dermatofibroma. I see them often on my leg waxing clients. A dermatofibroma is a tan to brown benign raised bump more common in women than men and occur commonly on the legs. The bump feels hard under the skin and can be itchy, tender and easily irritated. A doctor will tell you not to worry about it because it's benign, but it's kind of ugly! Dermatofibromas are also called Benign Fibrous Histiocytomas. They are the result of some sort of injury to the skin such as an ingrown hair or a bug bite.  Be careful when shaving because a dermatofibroma may bleed and become sore if nicked. Don't think you can get rid of it by shaving it off. It will be an awful looking sore and will j
3 comments
Read more