Sunscreen Linked
To Cancer
Can
the products that are suppose to
protect us from skin cancer actually causing the problem?
Sunscreen
is widely believed to be the totally safe, health conscious, life
essential products to use in the summer. Without sunscreen you will
get a tan, be dangerously exposed to the sun, get skin cancer,
and die (in that order).
So
the if reasons for using sunscreen haven't been beaten into your
brains by the age of six, you're either stupid or come from another
planet where sunscreen doesn't exist.
Skin
cancer prevention is being explained to kindergartners and teachers
are now dutifully slathering kids with sunscreen before even the slightest
sun exposure.
But
is sunscreen really preventing skin cancer?
According
to an article published by International Health News: "no
scientific proof that they protect against melanoma or basal cell
carcinoma in humans. There is, however, some evidence that regular
use of sunscreens helps prevent the formation of actinic keratoses,
the precursors of squamous cell carcinoma." You can read this
article in full by clicking
here.
So
if sunscreen doesn't prevent skin cancer, why do we use it?
Sunscreens
are very good at protecting our skin from sunburns. Unfortunately
when we slather ourselves with sunscreen it gives us a false sense
of security. Many people stay outside in the sun for far longer
than they usually would because they are wearing sunscreen and feel
safe.
Unfortunately
most sunscreens only block UVB rays. These are the radiation rays
that primarily cause sunburns. These are not the only rays that can
damage your skin and body however. The much more harmful UVA rays
are able to penetrate deeper into the skin and slow the functions
of your immune system, but do not contribute significantly to sunburns.
As
we slather ourselves with sunscreen we are in fact shielding ourselves
from the very substance that helps us ward off skin cancers - sunlight!
Natural sunlight exposure helps our body produce Vitamin D, one of
the only vitamins in our body that cannot be taken synthetically.
More and more children are developing rickets, a condition where bones
soften leading to easy fractures and deformity. Rickets is largely
caused by a deficiency in Vitamin D because children are never
being allowed outside without that healthy slathering of sunscreen
first.
Sunscreen
almost completely blocks your skin's ability to produce Vitamin D.
Combine that with the depressing effects of UVA rays that sunscreens
don't block, and it's a no brainier to understand why people are
getting sicker by using sunscreen.
To
make matters even worse, the common active ingredients in sunscreen
are actually carcinogenic. Most sunscreens are made with concentrations
of 2 to 5% of benzophenone or its derivatives: oxybenzone,
benzophenone-3. These substances are extreme free radical generators.
What this means is when the chemical is applied to the skin and then
exposed to sunlight, the molecule splits. The newly split molecules
are free radicals, or molecules that will bounce around the body searching
for a spare hydrogen atom to hook up with.
The
theory is that when the Benzophenone splits it will find a hydrogen
mate within the sunscreen itself, but this is not totally guaranteed.
What's to stop the free radicals
from bonding with the skin? This could conceivably cause a series
of events that lead to skin cancer and melanoma.
This
link is between skin cancer and high sunscreen usage is actually seen
very clearly in Australia. Advertising campaigns and doctor
recommendations have worked hard to educate the public about sunscreen
usage. Unfortunately this has lead to a mass epidemic of sun cancers,
all caused by increase use in products that actually cause the disease
they are trying to prevent.
So
the real solution to skin cancer and sunburns is not to slather on
a chemical rich product! The real solution is to be smart and limit
your sun exposure to reasonable limits.
Avoid
Skin Cancer and Painful Sunburns
Without Risking Your Health
- Get
a very mild tan - Don't use this as a license to sunbathe
rigorously! Gently expose your skin to small amounts of sun for
about 15 minutes a day. This is the perfect length of time to
water your garden or take a walk. By allowing your skin to tan
mildly your skin will naturally protect itself from sunburn.
- Limit
your sun exposure
- Staying out in the baking sun for any longer than an hour is
just stupid. Don't be dumb! You don't need to have skin the same
color as a Hershey's Chocolate bar unless you really do want to
die from skin cancer (and if you did, the process would go much
faster if you applied sunscreen first)!
- Wear
protective clothing - Wearing
a hat and sunglasses will not only keep you cool, it will also
protect your skin from direct sun exposure.
- Use
good skin care - After spending any length of time
in the sun, apply a layer of Aloe rich
lotion or Pure Aloe Jelly
to your exposed skin. Even if you haven't burned, this will dramatically
reduce the damage done to your skin by the sun. Many premature
aging signs are caused by sun exposure. Applying Aloe will help
to combat these aging signs effectively without risking your health.
- Don't
use sunscreen -
If you're going to be outside for HOURS and absolutely cannot
avoid it, then wear sunscreen, but do it at your own risk. The
better solution is to limit your sun exposure so that your skin
doesn't burn in the first place.
I
know a lot of women that use sunscreen as a daily moisturizer.
This is putting unwanted, carcinogenic chemicals on your face every
single day! You can try to look for sunscreens that don't contain
benzophenone, oxybenzone, or benzophenone-3, but they are very difficult
to find.
Another
alternative is to use products that reflect the sun rather than absorb
it. Titanium Oxide and Zinc Oxide are two safe ingredients
that can block sunlight effectively without risking your health.
To good health,
Leah
Day
