There has long been quite a bit of controversy surrounding sun screen and how much protection it really gives our skin from the sun. There are so many caveats to consider when looking for a sunscreen for your face (which is what we’re most concerned with here, that’s where acne mostly happens of course), that it’s hard to actually know what to look for and what is going to be best for your skin, long term and short term.
For example, one of the things I’m afraid of is all the preservatives and chemicals that can potentially harm the skin over time. For that reason, I recently purchased an all natural sunscreen by Dr. Mercola that provides protection by using only natural minerals.
You can tell by the consistency, which is rather chalky, that he’s not using the massive amounts of toxic cohesive agents and emulsifiers and preservatives that most shelf brands do, and I don’t mind the texture at all, it reminds me that I’m using a really natural product. And yes, I’ve used it on my face, and it was totally fine, didn’t make me break out on iota.
The FDA is now going to regulate what skin product companies can actually call a sun block. These products now have to protect against BOTH UVA and UVB rays to be called a “sun block”. Most products don’t tell you this, but they usually only protect your skin against the sun’s burning rays, which are the UVB rays. This is good of course, but what they don’t tell you is that the UVA rays, which they provide minimal protection against, actually are the ones that cause skin cancer and also cause wrinkles.
Oh, and here’s the kicker. UVB rays, which sun screen blocks quite efficiently now, actually is the type of ray that makes your skin produce the ultra beneficial vitamin D. That’s right, you’re mostly blocking out the very ray that, yes, while it can burn your skin, it also is the one that makes this very important vitamin that more and more is being discovered about every day.
The FDA wants sunscreen makers to be more transparent and explanatory in their labeling. They are also concerned that these SPF numbers are misleading to consumers, in that they lead them to believe the higher the number the more protection they are getting. This is not necessarily always true, and there are many more caveats to the story than just a number that tells you what level you are being protected at by your sunscreen. More to come on this important issue!
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