Why Switch to Mineral Sunscreen

You may be using a sunscreen on a regular basis to protect your skin from the sun, but is it safe?  Why switch to a mineral sunscreen

Sunscreen has come a long way since 1936 when it made waves in France. 

In the USA, lacluster sunscreens were on the market for years with additives that were often thick, oily, and did not effectively rub into the skin. 

Zinc oxide was well  known for it’s use in diaper rash ointment and to help with other minor skin irritations.  In the 1980’s it became a popular ingredient in sunscreen lotions.  It since become an important part of what is now referred to as “mineral sunscreens.”

Growing up without sunscreen 

When I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s we never used sunscreen.  We had never even heard of mineral sunscreen. 

As a kid I got plenty of sunburns and my mom would use Noxema to soothe them.  Now that I am in my 50’s I regret that I didn’t protect my skin from the sun when I was growing up.  

Can anyone else relate? 

When I became a teen it was all about tanning with baby oil or Coppertone.  Coppertone was the bomb for getting a deep, dark baked in tan!  Loved the smell!

It wasn’t until I became an adult that I found out that all the sun exposure as a kid and teen caused aging skin and those burns could cause melanoma!

Even in my 20’s to 30’s I didn’t really believe that sunscreen was important until my mother-in-law; who I love dearly and was like a mom to me, died of melanoma skin cancer. 

At this point I had to rethink my thoughts on sunscreen and consider a switch for myself and family to mineral sunscreen.

Do the Research on Sunscreens

Before I made the switch to mineral based sunscreen I did the research.  I had never even heard of a mineral based sunscreen until Avon put one out recently and I tried it.  

Having used a variety of sunscreens through the years; I got to wondering what the difference was. Which brought me to some very unsettling findings. 

Did you know that recently Hawaii banned selling sunscreens containing the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate? 

Those sunscreens were banned because they were harming the fragile coral reefs and marine life! 

This encouraged the industry to change, substituting new ingredients and offering more mineral-based sunscreens. 

Even though it has been banned in Hawaii, Palau, Florida Keys and the Virgin Islands doesn’t mean that it has been banned other places. 

It is up to the industry sellers (Walmart, CVS, etc) and consumer to be aware of these chemicals. 

So be sure you know what’s in your sunscreen before swimming in lakes, streams and the ocean.  You could be harming the ecosystem of fish and coral. 

Upon my research I came across an article by Elizabeth Renda on past and present sunscreens.  Going all the way back to the 1950’s.  You may find it interesting.

Read Elizabeth Renda’s post on Summer Skin; Then and Now https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2016/05/summer_skin.php

After much research on the internet; I have come to the conclusion that I needed to switch to a mineral based sunscreen.

Even my favorite day cream with spf 25 has Avobenzone in it which I found has mixed reviews.  Some said it is safe but recent research shows it isn’t when other ingredients are combined with it.  A lot of science that I really don’t care to try and explain.

In my opinion – when in doubt: throw it out! 

Instead, I will choose a daycream with the antiaging benefits and use mineral based spf over it. 

Protecting Your Face

We all want youthful, radiant, healthy looking skin. But overexposure to sunlight can increase the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Using sunscreen on your face helps to keep your complexion even and protect against the harmful effects of premature skin aging.  Unless of course it has harmful ingredients which have free radicals that are cancer causing. 

Woo, Hoo!  Avon has developed a Natural Mineral Sunscreen for the face with SPF25!

Avon Sun Protection+ Natural Mineral Sunscreen for Face SPF 25 is a natural mineral sunscreen that provides protection against harmful UV rays, Hypoallergenic. And feels so light!

Protecting Your Skin

There will be those who will continue to lay out to get a tan and I get it. 

Personally, I no longer intentionally try to get a tan.  Especially knowing that it ages my skin; which is what I am trying to prevent.  Only wishing I had known in my younger years what I know now.

I would rather have amazing skin than a tan. So, I will try to protect exposed areas of my skin as much as possible with mineral based sunscreen.  

Because no SPF product can protect you completely, you can still get a tan while wearing sunscreen.

Given that; any tan, no matter how slight, indicates the body’s response to damaging UV light, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. – livefreely blog post.

HAVE FUN IN THE SUN AND STAY SAFE NATURALLY

Avon Sun Protection+. A natural sunscreen that protects your skin with non-toxic, mineral-based ingredients. 

So you can freely enjoy the outdoors while staying safe under the sun.

Think of the minerals as millions of little mirrors on your skin, bouncing away the sun’s harmful rays.

Natural mineral sunscreen provides protection against harmful UV rays.

The UVA (ultraviolet A) is associated with skin aging and UVB (ultraviolet B) is associated with skin burning.

It is also water/sweat-resistant (80 minutes). Offers immediate protection—no extra time needed for absorption.

BENEFITS 
Made with safe, natural ingredients like mineral zinc oxide and titanium dioxide
SPF 40 
GMO-free, gluten-free
Hypoallergenic, non-greasy, non-whitening
Free of UV chemical filters (avobenzone and oxybenzone)
Free of silicone, parabens, phthalates and artificial fragrances 
Reef-safe: safe for marine and aquatic life including coral reefs 

TO USE 
Apply generously and evenly to body, 15 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply at least every two hours, or after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating.

Other Sun Protection Measures

Spending time in the sun increases your risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. To decrease this risk, regularly use a sunscreen with a Broad Spectrum SPF value of 15 or higher and other sun protection measures including:

• limit time in the sun, especially from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, hats, and sunglasses

Wearing sunscreen and/or protecting your skin with hats and clothing every day is vital to your skin and a crucial part of your skincare routine. 

Without these measures, you are exposing the sensitive skin on your face and body to unnecessary damage from sun.

Initially I was only planning on sharing my product review of Avon’s newest sunscreen product for the summer. 

Not knowing anything about mineral-based sunscreens; I didn’t just want to share a product I knew nothing about.

Actually I am glad I did the research. I learned things I didn’t know before. 

Just to finish this post.  Here is some important recalls and products I found to avoid. 

Sunscreens With Cancer-Containing Chemical Get Recalled

• Aveeno Protect + Refresh aerosol sunscreen.
• Neutrogena Beach Defense aerosol sunscreen.
• Neutrogena CoolDry Sport aerosol sunscreen.
• Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense aerosol sunscreen.
• Neutrogena UltraSheer aerosol sunscreen.

Most Toxic Sunscreens to Avoid

• Walgreens Dry Touch Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100.
• Panama Jack Sunscreen Continuous Spray, SPF 100.
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 85+
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 100+
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunscreen Spray, SPF 100+

Hopefully you will get a takeaway from this.

Let me know thoughts.

While you are at it check out my post on the Benefits of Rice Water Facial Cleanser.  This is one of my favorite facial cleansers.  

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