Mineral Vs Chemical Sunscreen
Short & Simple Sunscreen Suggestions
by Skyler Brady
Hello fellow sun fiend,
I was always the kid who wanted to be outside in the sun. I grew up playing football, hiking and bike riding and now I’m a Landscaper in California. I’m a ginger with very light skin so I know the importance of sunscreen.
What I didn’t know for years was that spf ranking isn’t the only thing to look for.
Maybe the most important thing I learned about sunscreen is that there are 2 major types:
- Mineral, Physical (2 ingredients total: 1. Zinc 2. Titanium Dioxide)
- Chemical (literally every other ingredient other than Zinc or Titanium Dioxide)
Long story short, Mineral/Physcial sunscreens are considered safe for us and the planet because they stay on top of our skin and do not harm our reefs (they are natural occurring elements)
Chemical Sunscreens absorb into our bloodstream after just 2 hours of use! And they stay in your bloodstream for 1 to 3 weeks after just a single day of use!
This information alarmed me because I've heard about people being hesitant to wear sunscreen, but I thought it was just people being lazy and or believing in nonsense.
When I found out that this is a clinical trial, repeated by the FDA, after initial findings, I was shocked me that people are putting on sunscreen without knowing that it's going into their blood and staying there for one to three weeks. This really concerns me deeply because we could be causing other health issues, including cancer, while wearing something that is supposed to prevent cancer and health issues. I’ve heard of chemical sunscreens being linked to things like hormone disruption in humans as well as coral reef destruction.
And make no mistake about it, just because you don't go into the ocean doesn't mean that when you shower off or pee out chemical sunscreen that it doesn't find its way into the ocean.
Citations:
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices/shedding-more-light-sunscreen-absorption
