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Toxic sunscreen alternatives

As the temperatures rise and we begin to spend more hours of the day outdoors, so does the need for sunscreen. In the state of Florida alone, more than 8,000 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year. That’s higher than any other state in the Union.

Before you reach for your favorite sunscreen though, it’s important to know if you’re exposing your body to toxic chemicals while trying to protect it from harmful UV rays. According to tests conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, toxins avobenzone, oxybenzone, ecamsule and octocrylene “remained in the bloodstream for at least 24 hours after the last sunscreen application, and some showed up even after a week.” The FDA is now looking into a dozen common sunscreen ingredients and how they might affect your health. There are safer alternatives out there though, you’re going to want to look for sunscreens that are commonly referred to as “blockers”, sunscreens that “contain only mineral ingredients such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.”

Todd Minars, a Hollywood, Florida dermatologist, recommends the use of mineral ingredient sunscreens despite their notoriety for giving your skin a “pasty consistency”. As he explains it, “new formulas of physical sunscreens are pretty invisible and go on nicely.” What The American Cancer Society and Dr. Lichtenfeld want you to understand though is despite the risks associated with chemicals in some sunscreens, “you should not abandon sunscreen…”

To read the Sun Sentinel article in its entirety, click here: https://bit.ly/2weAxJX

For a list of the 40 Best Organic Sunscreens of 2019 from Skincare Ox, follow this link: https://bit.ly/2J7LKje