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Alternative Solutions to Using A Toxic Sunscreen

An image of someone holding a bottle of sunscreen upsidedown and squeezing it in their palmWe have been told about the harmful damage associated with the sun. We have also been told that we need to protect ourselves from the sun and use sunscreen when going outside. But what nobody tells you is that you could be using a toxic sunscreen.

Many of these sunscreen contents do not receive the regulations they should. And many of the content labels on these toxic sunscreen products do not adequately explain the possible dangers. But it can be hard to determine if the benefits outweigh the risks, and what to do instead.

Why Do We Use Sunscreen?

We wear sunscreen to reduce the risks posed by the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. These rays are the strongest during spring and summer.

The sunscreen’s sun protective factor, commonly referred to as the SPF, indicates its ability to protect you against sunburn. Sunburn results from ultraviolet B (UVB rays) exposure. The higher the SPF, the more it protects you from UVB rays. No sunscreen can offer 100% UVB protection.

A broad spectrum sunscreen not only protects against UVB rays but ultraviolet A (UVA) rays as well. UVA penetrates deeper into the skin and is associated with the aging process and wrinkle formation. The more often you reapply sunscreen, the better it protects you from damage caused by the sun.

We use sunscreen to protect ourselves from sunburn, wrinkle formation, skin discoloration, and cancer. The problem with most sunscreen is the toxic ingredients in them. A toxic sunscreen can do more harm than good in the long run.

What Makes A "Toxic Sunscreen"?

Toxic sunscreens contain toxic substances that are not only harmful to humans but to the environment as well. The federal Food and Drug Administration proposed new updates to sunscreen regulations because of safety concerns surrounding many toxic sunscreen ingredients.

For example, three commonly used ingredients - avobenzone, oxybenzone, and homosalate - may disrupt your endocrine processes. Many ingredients not only work their way into your bloodstream but stay on your skin weeks after using them. Foreign substances entering your body are usually eliminated through your detoxification circuit. But too many toxins could lead to toxic overload.

Toxic Sunscreen Ingredients

These are some of the different toxic sunscreen ingredients and how they affect us:

Oxybenzone

One of the most common ingredients found in a toxic sunscreen, oxybenzone may disrupt your endocrine system. It may also cause contact allergies and contribute to organ system toxicity. It can also cause photoallergies, which happen when a chemical causes an allergic reaction once exposed to sunlight. Oxybenzone also harms aquatic life and threatens the health of coral reefs.

Homosalate

Homosalate is a toxic sunscreen ingredient that is a strong hormone disruptor. The chemical may also increase your body’s absorption of pesticides and the penetration of other toxic chemicals. Because it does not break down easily, it stays in the environment for a long time.

Octinoxate

Another endocrine disruptor, octinoxate may also promote reproductive toxicity. The chemical has been found in blood samples, urine, and breast milk. It also harms sea life and coral reefs.

Avobenzone

Avobenzone tends to degrade when exposed to sunlight. In so doing, it releases harmful free radicals into the body. Free radicals accelerate aging and may increase your risk of certain health conditions such as cancer. Studies show avobenzone may also block testosterone.

Octocrylene

Octocrylene may promote the incidence of skin allergies. The chemical may also cause a toxic aquatic environment and harm the health of coral reefs. Furthermore, this chemical is often contaminated with benzophenone. Benzophenone is a known carcinogen.

Nanoparticles

An image of Nanoparticles on a clear plateNanoparticles refer to tiny particles between 1 and 100 nanoparticles in diameter. The two most common of these found in toxic sunscreen are zinc oxide and titanium oxide. Mineral sunscreens usually contain these two minerals. Currently, research seems to show that few nanoparticles pass through the skin. Further research is needed to determine the extent to which these nanoparticles may influence your health.

However, inhalation and ingestion may prove problematic. Your lungs usually have difficulty in getting rid of tiny particles while, when ingested, they could cause gastrointestinal issues. No studies suggest you can ingest enough zinc oxide or titanium oxide to have this happen, such as from chapstick that contains sunscreen.

The FDA recommends you stay away from spray or powder forms of sunscreens that contain these nanoparticles, to avoid the potential of inhaling or ingesting them.

Zinc Oxide and Titanium Oxide

Mineral sunscreens usually contain zinc oxide and titanium oxide in nanoparticle form. The FDA broadly considers these two minerals safe and effective. Also, according to evidence, few, if any, of these nanoparticles penetrate your skin.

It is said that zinc oxide and titanium oxide are fine for sunscreen use when in non-nanoparticle form and that they provide broad-spectrum protection against the sun. In other words, they protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

However, titanium oxide, a known carcinogen, could be inhaled when using a sunscreen spray. Other inhalation symptoms include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. The chemical may also result in reproductive issues in humans. Zinc oxide is also dangerous when inhaled or ingested.

Accumulatively, mineral sunscreen appears to be safer than other types of toxic sunscreens.

Toxic Sunscreen and Detoxification

Because these toxic substances can enter your bloodstream or even your gastrointestinal tract, they can add to your toxic load. If you are already dealing with other conditions like adrenal fatigue, this could cause an adrenal crash, increase the severity of symptoms, or lead to new health issues.

Your NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response, together with your Detoxification Circuit, plays a key role in your destressing ability. The main organs of the Detoxification Circuit, the liver, immune system, and extracellular matrix, have the task of getting rid of any unwanted toxins from the body. These toxins come from the foods we eat, the air we breathe, unclean water, medications, and, of course, the toxic sunscreen we use.

These toxins can cause:

  • Food sensitivities
  • Increased intestinal permeability that leads to a leaky gut
  • Chronic and stealth infections
  • Promote hormone imbalance
  • Trigger an immune response that, if left unchecked, could result in inflammatory disorders

This is especially the case for those already suffering from adrenal fatigue with overtaxed adrenals, systemic inflammation, and many accompanying health issues.

Potential Side Effects

A toxic sunscreen not only impacts human health, but it may have an environmental impact as well.

Environmental Impact of Toxic Sunscreen

The chemicals in toxic sunscreen may harm fish life and ecosystems like coral reefs. Coral reefs not only provide shelter for many marine species but also protect coastlines from storm damage and erosion. They also remove carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.

While some of these sunscreens may state they are "reef safe" on their packaging, they may still affect plankton health. Plankton is at the bottom of the food chain in our oceans, but necessary for the health of many other species going up the ocean food chain. Furthermore, we may ingest many of these toxins when consuming marine food products like fish or shellfish.

Cancer from Toxic Sunscreen

Reducing the risk of cancer is one of the most-used advertisement gimmicks used by toxic sunscreen manufacturers. However, many of their ingredients may actually promote cancer, such as avobenzone and contaminated octocrylene.

Sunscreen also stops you from getting a tan, caused by increased melanin production. And this tan may reduce your melanoma risk, since people with darker skin have fewer incidents of skin cancer. This does not mean you should spend hours in the sun, however. It could cause sunburn.

Sunburn from Toxic Sunscreen

An image of a man who is sunburnt at the beachSunburn is still possible when using toxic sunscreen as well. These sunscreens may block the sunburn causing UVBs, but they do not necessarily block out all the UVAs. Furthermore, they do not block out all infrared radiation. Infrared radiation goes further than just skin deep. And it can cause a lot of damage.

What sunscreen does is turn off your body’s indication you should get out of the sun, i.e., sunburn. But when we have no sunburn, we feel safe and tend to stay in the sun longer. Ideally, you should get out of the sun as soon as your skin starts to flush. A slight pink sheen is a good indicator.

Endocrine Disruption and Toxic Overload from Toxic Sunscreen

The chemicals in a toxic sunscreen can disrupt your endocrine system and add to your body’s toxicity load. They may cause a hormone imbalance as well as contribute to various health issues seemingly unrelated to each other. This indicates compromised adrenal function.

Natural Methods of Reducing Sun Exposure

The best way for your body to make its own vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. But too much sunlight exposure can harm you, especially the first few times you go out in the sun during spring. Too much sun may increase your risk of sunburn, aging skin, eye damage, skin cancer, and heat stroke. So, how do you protect yourself?

  • If very fair-skinned, limit your sun exposure to ten to thirty minutes per day, three to five times per week at first.
  • Stay out of the sun between 10 am and 2 pm. The sun is strongest during this time.
  • Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes against UV rays.
  • If you sit in the sun, wear a hat and protective clothing. This means clothes with a tighter weave and covering your arms and legs as well. Also, lighter clothing tends to reflect sunlight and keep you cooler.
  • Sit in the shade if outside. Do remember that, when on the beach and using an umbrella, UV rays may reflect from the sand.
  • Opt for car windows with a UVB filter. They do not filter UVA rays, so add a covering to car windows, especially side windows that have less protection.

Natural Sunscreen Alternatives to Avoid Toxic Sunscreen

Nature has a wonderful way of providing natural sunscreen alternatives. What is more, most of them smell wonderful!

  • Carrot seed oil has antioxidant properties and provides a 38-40 SPF.
  • Aloe vera, great after a sunburn, blocks out up to 20% of sunlight when put on before going into the sun.
  • Coconut oil blocks out up to 20% of the sun’s rays, addresses inflammation, and moisturizes.
  • Wheat germ oil is a natural moisturizer with an SPF of 20.
  • Red raspberry seed oil has an SPF factor of between 28 and 50.
  • Sesame oil blocks approximately 30% of the sunlight from reaching your skin.

In Closing

Recent years have seen much scaremongering regarding the harmful effects of the sun. Yet the very products designed to reduce these effects may have harmful effects of their own.

If worried about or want to know more about the effect of a toxic sunscreen, the team at Dr. Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free** no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234 where we will privately discuss your concerns and possible solutions. You can also send a question through our Ask The Doctor System by clicking here.

© Copyright 2023 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.

Dr. Lam’s Key Question

Yes, toxic sunscreen does impact your adrenal health. It increases your body’s toxic load and may cause a hormonal imbalance, amongst other issues. It is best to seek alternative ways of protecting yourself from possible sun damage. Natural alternatives exist.

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