The Philippine Online Chronicles

“Wear sunscreen.”

These two words mark the start of Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich’s famous graduation speech to the class of 1997. She is right – the long-term benefits and protection provided by sunscreen is indeed documented by science, and if you want to know the secret to preserving your youthful looks, sunscreen is it. Never leave the house without at least SPF 30 slathered on your face because our tropical sun will cause your skin to dry up and early wrinkles to form! At least, that’s what you’ve always been told. But is the sunscreen you’re using safe? If it’s a commercial brand from the shelves of a drug store, it’s probably... not.

Popular sunscreen brands like Hawaiian Tropic and Coppertone contain chemical ingredients like PABA, benzophenones, and salicylates. Their job is to protect your skin by absorbing any UVA and UVB rays you may be exposed to, but it turns out that UV-protection is not the only thing these chemicals can do. A report from the Environmental Working Group states that a widely-used sunscreen ingredient, oxybenzone, is likely to cause contact dermatitis and other allergic reactions among users. What’s worse is that this ingredient can pass through the skin, enter the bloodstream, and damage cells, but this discovery did not make sunscreen manufacturers raise the bar of safety testing. In fact, many of these substances have not been reviewed for safety in decades, and current studies are starting to reveal their harmful effects.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. According to dermatologist Dr. Loren Pickart, sunscreen’s synthetic ingredients have two worrisome effects. Exposure to sunlight can actually cause UVA and UVB blockers to generate free radicals, which initiates chemical reactions that damage the proteins, fat, and DNA of cells. These changes aggravate aging and increase the risk of skin cancer.

Sunscreen chemicals are also foreign estrogens that can mimic the function of real estrogen. These foreign estrogens bind with the estrogen receptors in the breast and ovaries, interfering with the body’s delicate hormonal balance and precipitating the development of fibroids, uterine cysts, and breast tumors.

Since the human body is only capable of detoxifying biological pollutants, it doesn’t know how to eliminate synthetic chemicals properly. If applied every day, non-biological ingredients found in sunscreen get stored in the fat and accumulate throughout time, causing long-term health condition like skin cancer and infertility.

The good news is that organic sunscreen can provide the same quality of UVA/UVB protection without the health risks of chemical sunscreen. Organic sunscreen makes use of physical blockers like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide – minerals that protect the skin by scattering or reflecting UV rays rather than absorbing them. While titanium dioxide has been found to be linked to cancer, the risk is only present if you inhale the finely milled mineral in large quantities. As an ingredient in organic sunscreen, titanium dioxide particles are too large to get absorbed by the pores.

Most people have the impression that organic anything costs more than their chemical counterparts, but only if you buy the imported kind. Locally made organic sunscreen is just as affordable – if not more affordable – than big name sunscreen brands.

By Nature Sunblock Away (SPF 55)

By Nature is a company famous for its wide range of handmade soaps, but they also carry a smaller line of organic skin care products. Their new Sunblock Away sunscreen has SPF 55 and is safe for children. Its ingredients include titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, organic sesame seed oil, organic virgin coconut oil, organic hazelnut oil, and organic jojoba oil. It’s also scented with essential oils, and the aroma may be too strong for those with sensitive noses. This sunscreen may be better used on the body rather than the face. A 120-ml bottle costs P350 from By Nature retailers.

Leyende Organics Place in the Sun Sunblock (SPF 30)

The biggest problem with natural UV blockers is that they cause an unflattering white cast. Place in the Sun is supposed to be a photogenic sunblock because it uses Tinosorb, a chemical UVA/UVB absorber that works well with organic ingredients. Despite being a chemical ingredient, Tinosorb has a low hazard score and has no known harmful effects. Other ingredients include organic aloe vera, virgin coconut oil, and organic calendula extract. It’s completely unscented, making it ideal for use on the face. A 50ml bottle costs P400.00.

Skin Hour Skin Shade (SPF 30)

Like Place in the Sun, Tinosorb is the main active UV-blocking ingredient of Skin Hour’s Skin Shade. What makes it different is the other ingredients in the product; Skin Shade is slightly scented with lavender essential oil and infused with cucumber extract to soothe sunburn. It’s cheaper too – a 150ml bottle costs P350.

All Organics Skinbrella (SPF 15 or 30)

Skinbrella uses physical blockers titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to provide complete sun protection, while shea butter, cocoa butter, and jojoba oil are included for their moisturizing properties. It comes in two varieties - SPF 15 (P105 for 15 grams; P275 for 60 grams) and SPF 30 (P135 for 15 grams; P375 for 60 grams). Even though it might be expensive in the long run, it might be better to get the 15 gram tub; the product is very thick and difficult to squeeze out of the bottle.

Holystics’ The Moisturizer (SPF 22)

The SPF factor in Holystics’ The Moisturizer seems more like an added bonus rather than its main feature. This lightweight cream features antioxidant vitamins to boost the skin’s natural defense mechanism against aging, while crushed hydrated copper carbonate protects against oxide radicals. It also contains Malakite to filter out stress and improve the appearance of pores. If you must get The Moisturizer, get it for its anti-aging properties since SPF 22 is not enough for our hot summer sun. The Moisturizer costs P417/10 grams, P912/30 grams, P1,758/40 grams, and P1,781/50 grams.

Photo: Line of Defense by Robert S. Donovan. Some rights reserved.