Want to see my blood boil? Face turn red? Veins stick out on my neck?  Well, I am exaggerating a little but it angers me to see advertisements for incredibly high SPF’s.

It has gotten really crazy the last few years and as summer approaches you will see the shelves of your local pharmacy, grocery store and gift shops stocked to the hilt with brand name sunscreens with super high SPF numbers. Avoid them like the plague!

High SPFs Are They For Real?
Let’s take SPF 100 as an example. Technically that would mean that a sunscreen at that level would give you 100 times more protection than wearing no sunscreen. So, if it takes you 20 minutes in the sun before you start to redden, this means, in theory, you could enjoy the sun without consequence for 2000 minutes! Ridiculous! It would actually be laughable if the consequences of exposing yourself to such high sunscreens weren’t so dire. 

The serious issue is that people are being exposed to potentially toxic levels of chemicals when they fall for the marketing hype that leads them to believe you need such high SPF numbers. Chief among the concerns are high levels of estrogen in chemical sunscreens coupled with dangerous parabens and phthalates. 

In addition, incidents of skin cancer are on the rise so, why aren’t the SPF 75’s and 100’s of the suncare industry eliminating these cancers? Why aren’t the 12 hour waterproof products reducing the amount of skin cancer? Well, I think these modern day chemical “wonders” are the culprit, not the cure.

My theory is that people are duped into thinking they are protected all day long by an application of these super high SPF’s. So they stay out in the sun longer and actually get more harmful exposure than if they would reapply, using a more sensible SPF instead. It particularly bothers me to see young mothers spraying their kids down with SPF 100’s thinking they are doing the best for the child while not knowing the cyclomethicone in these products is dangerous.

Why Absolutely Natural works better
Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing UV after it hits the skin … it works but not real efficiently. We liken it to protecting yourself from the rain with a giant sponge held over your head. Absolutely Natural’s sunscreens reflect UV instead of absorbing it the way chemical sunscreens do. This is like having a big umbrella in that metaphorical rain storm!

It is especially important to use Absolutely Natural sunscreens when you consider chemical sunscreens mostly protect against UVB light.  It takes a mineral sunscreen to fully protect against UVA.   This is a summary of the difference between UVA and UVB light:

  • UVB rays are present at a range of290-320  UVB are sometimes considered the sun’s burning rays, as they are most associated with sunburns. They are also thought to contribute to skin cancers. UVB rays will vary in intensity depending on time of day or time of year. They are strongest between 10am and 4:00 pm during the day and between the months of April through October.
  • UVA rays are present at a range of 320-400 nanometers. UVA rays are now thought to contribute to everything from sunburns, skin cancers and even photo aging. Unlike UVB rays, UVA rays remain at a relatively stable intensity all year round. They are also thought to penetrate deeper into the skin’s layers as opposed to UVB, which do most of its damage on the skin’s outer epidermal UVA rays can penetrate through glass; your car windows for example.

 


Our higher SPF’s are more than sufficient for all levels of UV exposure. In fact, most reasonable researchers believe that an SPF 30 is a maximum sunscreen and I agree.

So, please, avoid the harsh and ridiculously high SPF numbers.  Absolutely Natural offers a safe, effective and environmentally friendly option for those wanting to enjoy the sun

 


Best regards,
Charley