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Why I don't wear sunscreen
I don't like using lotion-based sunscreens, but I protect my skin in other ways.
Thu, May 17 2012 at 4:52 PM
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Photo: OneFlameInTheFire/ Flickr
First of all, let me just say that what I write here is not advice to you or anyone else, I am not a dermatologist, and the choices I make are for my own body, and I respect what other people do with theirs. With that out of the way, I will share with you why I don't use sunscreen — and how there's plenty of real scientific evidence to back up my decision.
Check out the Environmental Working Group's 2012 report, which just came out. Plenty of the evidence that group has compiled shows that sunscreen might not protect us as well as we think, and in some cases, might even be harmful. I've broken some of the info down here, and will then explain what I do to avoid burns and skin cancer. (The quotes below are all according to the report.)
Sunscreen prevents burns but may not prevent cancer: "... a wide range of public health agencies — including the FDA — have found very little evidence that sunscreen prevents most types of skin cancer." In reviewing the evidence, the FDA said that the available clinical studies “do not demonstrate that even [broad spectrum products with SPF greater than 15] alone reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging.”
Sunscreen use has been linked to more malignant skin cancers: "Some researchers have detected an increased risk of melanoma among sunscreen users. No one knows the cause, but scientists speculate that sunscreen users stay out in the sun longer and absorb more radiation overall, or that free radicals released as sunscreen chemicals break down in sunlight may play a role." How many people do you know say they're "fine in the sun" since they put on SPF 75?
High SPF numbers don't mean what we think they do: More is not always better when it comes to SPF. "The FDA has proposed prohibiting the sale of sunscreens with SPF values higher than “50+.” The agency has written that values higher than 50 would be “misleading to the consumer,” given that there is an “absence of data demonstrating additional clinical benefit” (FDA 2011), and that “there is no assurance that the specific values themselves are in fact truthful…” (FDA 2007)."
I have been hearing some of this information for years (as well as concerns from the natural health community about how nanoparticles and chemical sunblocks, which contain hormone disrupters, can affect the skin and other systems), and have opted out of using sunblock altogether.
If you still think I'm crazy, keep reading and I'll show you why I'm not.
A little background: I am a white person of mixed Caucasian ancestry: German, Armenian, English, Scottish, Lebanese. I'm not milky-skinned, but I do burn fairly quickly, so I must protect my skin from the sun. But I don't do it with chemical lotions; I do it with common sense (also cheaper than sunblock!). Maybe you're thinking I never go outside! No.
I have never, and will never "lay out" to tan, but I love to swim and be outside during the spring, summer, autumn and even winter when I can. I have lived and spent real time in tropical locations, including the Caribbean, the Big Island of Hawaii and Australia, and have found that these rules apply everywhere.
Stay out of midday sun: I generally plan my activities for after 3 or 4 p.m., when sun is less strong. If I have to be out in midday sun for some reason....
Seek shade: There are few places I've found (besides graduation ceremonies, which are always in the sun, dammit!) that you can't find a patch of shade. If I'm concerned about it, I bring an umbrella — men and women throughout the Caribbean use umbrellas as much for portable shade as to keep tropical rains off their heads. So sensible, and you can even coordinate with your ensemble if you're that kind of person (and I am.) Bring back the parasol!
Cover with hats and clothes: If I can't find shade, I cover up. I wear long-sleeved, lightweight cotton and hemp shirts and long pants or skirts. I love wide-brimmed floppy hats, visors, big sunglasses, fedoras — you name it, I wear it. If this all sounds too hot to you, you'd be surprised. Look at the people who live in the hottest, sunniest places. Most of them are covered up. (The folks on the planet who run around half-naked — lucky them! — are generally found in hot, forested places. That is, where it's hot, but not sunny.)
When I showed up to tour Egypt a few years ago, my guide Muhammed told me Americans were always the worst dressers — and not style-wise. "Exposing skin will get you burnt, and you'll be hotter" he told me when I showed up in a tank top and shorts to check out the pyramids. "Sunblock, bah!" was his response when I whipped out my SPF 65. I changed, and Muhammed was right. Wearing long sleeved, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing was much more comfortable and even cooler since the sun wasn't hitting my skin.
That's it! Stay out of the harsh sun, seek shade, and cover up when you can't. You won't expose yourself to ingredients that companies will later say they "thought were safe at the time" and it is the only proven way to cut your chances for skin cancer. And don't forget, a little sun every day helps the body make Vitamin D — which most of us have deficiencies of. About 10-15 minutes of non-midday sun a day is good for you!
The Aussies' SunSmart campaign has it right: Their motto is "Slip, Slap, Slop, Seek, Slide": Slip on a long-sleeved shirt, slap on a hat, slop on sunscreen, seek shade and slide on your sunnies (sunglasses to us Yanks). You'll notice that only one part of that is sunscreen-associated. The rest is reducing exposure. And if anyone knows sun protection, it's the Australians!
- Here's what you don't know about sunscreen
- Compare: The Environmental Working Group's 2011 sunscreen list
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I have never worn sunscreen, and have always maintained that sunburn is the universe saying get out of the sun stupid.
I don't wear sunscreen because I am stupid. I have a fair to large amount of melanin and think I am personally stronger than ozone holes. What a fool I am.
We also use umbrellas, but beware! You can still get a ery bad burn under an inadequate umbrella!
i never wear sunscreen. i wear hats and shirts if i dont want sun. if i do want sun i get it quicker without sunscreen, so i am exposed to the sun for less time. i think this is safer than staying in the sun for hours with sunscreen on. just because you don't get sunburn doesn't mean you are not doing damage to your cells
Agreed on many points. I have very fair skin but I also enjoy swimming, hiking, and bike riding - things that just don't allow for loose clothing and umbrellas. I moisturize every morning with a lotion that includes sunblock and I've kept my skin healthy. I get a test every year at the dermatologist checking for sun damage and so far so good. It takes a mixture of common sense and READING the ingredients on sunblock to make sure your routine is effective.
I like her suggestions! All the road workers I see here working in the hot north Texas sun wear hats, loose fitting long sleeve shirts, etc. Many are of Hispanic descent and even though darker skinned by nature, still want to protect themselves. Smart guys!
Thank you 21 year old, who will live forever... just sayin
Not everyone can physically tolerate the outdoors without sunscreen. I do all of the things the author suggests (covering up, seeking shade, etc.) but still have to wear sunscreen on my exposed skin (face, neck, hands, ankles, etc.) to avoid getting burned badly. In my opinion sunscreen is a necessary evil to be able to enjoy the outdoors and not live as a hermit.
woman who are covered have less chances to get sun damage.
It is also worth noting that the wavelengths of sunlight that cause sunburn are exactly the same as those that are needed to make vitamin D. So too much sunblock all the time can actually limit your production of vitamin D (which is already fair too low in most people) and lead to a deficiency. If you are an everyday sunblock user, you might want to make sure to take a daily Vit D supplement.
Those of us with really light skin (red hair and freckles) are veritable vitamin-D ulta-factories. Not a problem. Burns and skin cancer? Big problems.
What about your hands? Gloves all the time?
I would say, probably so. Not too comfortable, IMO.
my 4 and 7 year olds are very fair-skinned, and when we go out to play, especially in the water, hats, long-sleeves, parasols, et. al. are simply impractical. i hate marinating them in chemicals, but i didn't one day a couple of weeks ago and my 7 year-old literally blistered. i don't really know what else to do for him than to apply sunscreen...
talk to a dermatologist about sunblocks that are safe for children. I'm not sure what advances have been made in "green" sunblock, but it's worth a look. If you have fair skinned children, trust me, an occasional dermatologist visit (and thus a trusted doctor to consult with on these things) will do wonders.
This might be hard to do with a 4 and 7 year old, but she did suggest to keep out of the mid-day sun.
I went to my dermatologist for the first time a week ago. I picked up a unblock that is a lightweight physical block rather than a chemical one. It is definitely pricier, but it is an option.
The Environmental Working Group (which the author mentions in this post) ranks sunscreens on their toxicity. I would check out their website to see if there are sunscreens you can use on your children that would put you more at ease.
I've seen their list, they weeded out all of the brands that are non broad-spectrum and have the particular chemicals that are suspect as harmful. The list is still very long with lots of options
Organic sunscreen of SPF less than 50 is the answer, in my opinion.
I've been doing this and I don't get burnt and I don't overexpose myself to bad chemicals.
Same goes for bug spray... wear clothes, not chemicals
except in area w/ deer ticks....as a naturalist i spend a lot of time in nature....lyme's disease is BAD stuff...friends have serious illnesses b/c they missed diagnosis of this dangerous spirochete infection....i wear long pants tucked into socks etc but spray around ankles / pant legs to keep ticks from climbing up.
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