A collaboration with the Westfield High School Journalism Program

PSA: Wear the Right

Sunscreen This Summer

There’s no doubt that as we head into the summer season, you will hear from someone “make sure to apply sunscreen” when stepping out into the sun. Inevitably, some will wear it, some won’t, but we all know that wearing sunscreen is essential to prevent sunburn, skin cancer and aging (wrinkles). Despite the fact that you can go to any store and pick up sunscreen, it is important to make sure you are choosing the right sunscreen to protect your skin. Believe it or not, there are sunscreens that contain harmful chemicals that would be counteractive to helping protect your skin. So, what are sunscreens should you stay away from, and what are the sunscreens you should be grabbing off the shelf?

What you should be most wary of is harmful chemicals commonly found in sunscreens, such as oxybenzone and octinoxate. According to colorescience.com, oxybenzone is a common chemical found in sunscreens that can absorb into the skin, enter the bloodstream and negatively impact parts of the body’s system. Oxybenzone is also linked to allergic skin reactions and hormonal imbalances. Octinoxate, another chemical found in sunscreens and included with oxybenzone as a UV filler, still proposes potential health risks if the concentration of it is too high. When shopping for sunscreen, make sure to turn the bottle around and look at the label for these harmful chemicals, and consider picking up a sunscreen that avoids these ingredients so as to not harm your skin further.

Instead of a chemical sunscreen, you should instead consider purchasing a mineral sunscreen. According to safecosmetics.org, mineral sunscreens contain the minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which sit on the skin’s surface and do not penetrate into the skin like chemical sunscreens do. They also refract UV radiation from the skin since these chemicals do not penetrate. Because of this, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declared these chemicals safe to use in 2019. In addition, mineral sunscreens are less harmful to coral reefs, and are essential to preventing harm to species in oceans, versus chemical sunscreens that pose harm to these environments. Some of the best mineral sunscreens, according to Forbes Magazine, are MDSolarSciences Mineral Moisture Defense SPF 50 ($42), Australian Gold Botanical SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen Lotion ($12 on Amazon) and EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF 47 ($32 on Amazon).

Ranging in price to accommodate a cheaper or more expensive purchase, these mineral sunscreens will be great options to have in your summer bag. Make sure to stay extra safe this summer, and take note of which sunscreens will protect your skin from the UV’s harmful rays, but don’t include harmful chemicals.