In the past few years, sunscreen ingredients that have raised safety concerns have been heavily discussed and proposed to be BANNED by the FDA.
You would think buying sunscreen from Walmart and using it on your skin would make you safer from the sun right?
What if those sunscreen chemicals were actually making you sicker?
Lets dive in to some those ingredients.
1. Oxybenzone is used in some chemical sunscreens and has been associated with skin allergies, hormone disruption & potential ecological harm to coral reefs.
Some studies suggest that OXB can be absorbed into the body, leading to concerns about its potential health effects.
2. Octinoxate is another common chemical sunscreen ingredient that has raised safety concerns. It can cause skin allergies and has been found to have hormonal activity, though the extent of its impact on human health is still under investigation.
3. Homosalate is a chemical sunscreen ingredient that helps stabilize other UV filters. However, it has been found to have weak hormone-disrupting effects and may also be associated with skin allergies.
4. Octocrylene is a chemical UV filter that helps stabilize the sun protection in sunscreen formulations. However, it can sometimes cause skin allergies and has been found to generate free radicals when exposed to sunlight, potentially leading to oxidative stress - basically aging your skin!
There are MORE, like Avobenzone and Octisalate that degrade under sunlight, and are known for causing irritation and skin allergies.
So what's Reef-safe AND safe for your health and hormones?
Zinc Oxide is generally considered safe and well-tolerated, some alternative sunscreen ingredients have raised concerns due to potential safety issues.
The non-nano type is better for Coral Reefs, and in fact is one of the few mineral-based sunscreens that Hawaii actually allows and hasn't banned.
There are many recipes online that show you how to make your own.
Or you can grab one of ours made with grassfed tallow and beeswax for elite uv-protection!
