Safe Sunscreens

Safe sunscreens might seem like an oxymoron. After all, you apply sunscreen before heading out for a sunny hike to keep your skin safe, right?

But is your sunscreen safe to put on your skin?

I didn't really think about this question too deeply until I started having skin biopsies every year. I've spent a limited amount of time in direct sunlight, compared with folks who live in sunny parts of the world. But when I do go out in the sun, it's usually for day-long hikes and sometimes it's day after day out in the baking sun. This tends to accumulate lots of skin damage in short bursts, summer after summer.

Which is why I go to the dermatologist for mole checks and biopsies.

But just this week I ran across an article on sunscreen that got me to thinking: What happens to the chemicals I smear over a large percentage of my body?

So I took a closer look at my sunscreen label. I use a dermatologist-approved, leading brand which promises SPF 45 and blockage of both ultraviolet A and B rays. It even has a seal of approval on it from the American Cancer Society. So far, so good.

Then I started looking up the chemicals listed as active ingredients: avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octisale, oxybenzone.

And I got a rude surprise!

Some of these chemicals are documented trouble makers in the human body. And I've been rubbing them into my skin year after year, no questions asked, expecting them to block the damaging UV rays without harming me in the process.

So I went in search of safe sunscreens. And after a bit of digging, I found a few that do not contain these chemicals. I'll let you know how they hold up on long sweaty hikes this summer.

Lesson learned: if you swallow it, inhale it, or smear it on your body, do your research first.