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Organic SunscreenOrganic sunscreen is considered much safer for you and your family because it doesn’t contain the harmful chemicals that are in traditional sunscreen ingredients.
But it’s difficult to find a completely organic sunscreen because you have to make sure it includes an ingredient that will protect you from the UVA rays.
When shopping for sunscreen, look for products that are not easily absorbed by the skin and have safer ingredients than what’s currently on the market.
Ingredients to AvoidOxybenzone is one ingredient that most conventional sunscreens contain and it is not very safe for humans. It’s highly absorbable and is associated with photoallergic reactions.
Padimate-O is another ingredient to avoid in sunscreens because research shows it releases free radicals, damages DNA, mimics estrogens and still causes allergic reactions in some people.
Safe and Organic IngredientsSo what to look for in a safe sunscreen? This can be complicated because you need ingredients in your sunscreen that protect you from the sun but at the same time, you don’t want to put a chemical on your body that may cause harm to your health.
So far, Zinc Oxide is one ingredient that has been recognized as safe by the Environmental Working Group. They say that very little is absorbed by the skin and no adverse health effects have been reported. ZO may have nano-particles that can be damaging if inhaled or released in the environment.
Titanium Dioxide has also been used for a long time in sunscreens and appears to be relatively safe but it also has nano-particles that can pose a hazard if inhaled or released into the environment.
One company whose products I’ve used and can recommend has what they call "outdoor balm" that contains zinc oxide as it’s active ingredient but also contains organic ingredients that soothe and nourish the skin such as rosemary, shea butter and olive oil. For a complete list of what to look for in a safe sunscreen, check out the EWG's
sunscreen database
for more information.
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