Sunscreen Recall: What is it all about & what should I do?
Have you seen the news of sunscreen recalls for a multitude of brands? Some of the biggest names like Johnson & Johnson, Aveeno, and Banana Boat have all had to issue a recall. Most important to know: this is for aerosol sunscreens and not the lotion types. So if you have those sunscreens you spray on from a can, that is the type you should stop using!
To be clear: you should still be using sunscreen when you go out in the sun! Just not the aerosol types specifically. We still want you to protect your skin, however not all sunscreen is the same.
Ok, so what is the deal with the aerosols?
What has been found, is that when they transform the sunscreen from that traditional lotion formate to a sprayable thinner sunscreen, a cancer causing ingredient called benzene, has been found in some of these sprays. This is a new finding, therefore not every single aerosol has been tested yet. To be safe we would still advise against using the sprays.
Benzene is a carcinogenic that is a naturally forming chemicals from forest fires among other things. Multiple world health organizations have deemed this chemical unsafe and potentially cancer causing when high exposure or continual exposure occurs. If you use these aerosol sunscreens daily, you may be a high risk. However if you have used them a few times or hear and there, you are more than likely a much lower risk. Either way, it is important to avoid any usage just like not smoking cigarettes. Both have the ability, we now know, to cause cancer.
What type of sunscreen should I be using?
There are some key ingredients that you should always be looking for, no matter if the sunscreen is to be used on your face or your body. Mineral sunscreen is absolutely the way to go, but there are two specific ones to look for. Be on the lookout for titanium and zinc as the base when reading the labels of potential products to purchase and use.
The natural ingredients titanium and zinc, help to form a protective barrier on the skin that reflects the harmful sun rays. Think of this like applying a mirror coating to your face that bounces the UV rays right back off. One of the most important things is that the ingredients be a physical blocker rather than a chemical that absorbs into your skin and then are found to have measurable levels in your blood- just like benzene in aerosol spays.
What’s crazy to think about, is that the chemicals that are being put into many sunscreens other than titanium and zinc, are actually causing our coral reefs to die! These same chemicals are absorbed into your skin and are then measurable in your blood. What do you think the long term effect is when you use them on your own skin?! Truth is we don’t actually know, but if something is killing the coral reef, I probably don’t want it on my body and measurable in my blood!
Any brands you recommend?
At Perich Aesthetics, we are big fans of two skin care lines that both have a fabulous sunscreen option: Skinbetter Science and Alastin Skincare. Both lines are scientifically advanced to give you the best on the market skin care available today.
Alastin offers a tinted or non-tinted option both with broad spectrum SPF of 30+ specifically for your face and one for your body as well. Skinbetter Science has options addressing the needs of women and men specifically. They too have specific products for face and body. It is very important to use a high quality sunscreen on your face especially to maintain it’s health.
Final Takeaway:
It is still imperative to use sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful sun rays. However, make sure you are using a lotion that uses zinc or titanium to ‘reflect’ the sun off your body rather than using chemicals that get absorbed in your skin. If you have aerosols sunscreen kicking around the house, it is best to stop using it and buy something new.
The brands mentioned above also have lotion products that do use these natural ingredients of zinc and/or titanium so you do not need to automatically assume all of their products are no good. Just check your labels so you know exactly what you are putting on your body and make sure you cover all of the exposed skin.
Anyways, it’s never fun to get aerosol sunscreen in your drinks, food, or mouth as the wind takes it away. You get much better coverage and piece of mind by not using these spray cans anyways!