Sunscreen Safety: What You Want, What to Look Out for.

Summer is officially upon us. That means, no matter your sport or activity of choice, it’s likely that you’re going to be headed outside much more often than you were during the colder months. And while there’s no better feeling than soaking up the gorgeous rays of a summer day while you swim or hike, there’s also no worse feeling than the sting and ache of a sunburn hours later. 

Of course, the best way you can avoid the pain of a sunburn is by using sunscreen - we all know that. But what a lot of people don’t know is that the ingredients included in a lot of popular sunscreens aren’t always safe for our bodies. 

Harmful Ingredients Found in Popular Sunscreens

So, what are these harmful ingredients? 

One of the ingredients found in popular sunscreen brands - including Banana Boat - is benzene. Benzene is a known carcinogen that’s been linked to blood cancers like leukemia. Out of 300 sunscreens, both spray and lotion, this chemical was found in 78 of them. These sunscreens are sold at popular pharmacies like CVS and are still widely available, even though many have been trying to get the FDA to recall those that include benzene. 

Parabens are another type of chemical that has been found in common sunscreen brands. Many shampoos and conditioners boast that they’re free of sulfates and parabens - which is probably where you’ve heard this term before. But even if you’re keeping your hair healthy by remaining paraben-free, you might still be smearing it onto your skin. 

Parabens are used to lengthen the shelf life of a product and reduce the growth of bacteria and mold within them. Those are fine perks, but the downfall of parabens is much more daunting - they can affect fertility, reproductive organs, birth outcomes, and increase a user’s risk of cancer. They can also cause skin irritation - which is a big deal when it comes to your sunscreen.  

Not only are parabens detrimental to the human body, they’re also harmful towards the environment. They can kill coral, and plenty of parabens have been detected in surface waters, fish, and sediments. These chemicals are literally infecting our planet. 

Beneath the Surface

In many cases, sunscreen doesn’t just sit on top of the skin and do its job there. FDA scientists did a study that consisted of six people applying sunscreen over 75% of their body four times a day for three days. At the end of the first day, the blood concentration of all six people exceeded the FDA threshold for more safety testing, and as the days went on, those levels only increased. 

Taken at face value, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The study didn’t show that the sunscreen content that soaked through the skin was detrimental, just that it was present. There’s no conclusive research as to how that chemical content in the blood affects our bodies yet. 

But the question you have to ask yourself is: What if it is detrimental? 

Organic Mineral Sunscreen

We need sunscreen in order to protect our skin from harmful UV rays. So, how can you feel good about using sunscreen when it comes with so many downfalls? 

Easy. Start with throwing out your old sunscreen and picking up Protekt’s organic mineral sunscreen! 

Our eco-friendly sunscreen only uses simple, natural ingredients that won’t hurt your skin, your body, or the environment. We created this product for people who live in their sunscreen, who are outside every day, and need something that can only benefit them - both now and in the future. Continued use of a product should always be safe, never disrupting any of the body’s sensitive systems. 

That’s why our eco-friendly sunscreen includes zinc oxide. It’s a physical sunscreen, which means that the active ingredient zinc oxide sits on top of the skin instead of soaking in and intermingling with the blood like so many other brands do. Our organic mineral sunscreen creates a physical barrier between your skin and the sun’s rays, forcing the light to bounce off your face/shoulders/chest/wherever, and back into the atmosphere. 

Surfers are some of the biggest fans of our product because of the fact that our zinc oxide sunscreen is completely waterproof and reef safe. Good for your body, good for the earth. 

Products for Every Adventure

Whether you’re in the market for a sunscreen stick or your run-of-the-mill lotion variety, Protekt has you covered. Our stick sunscreen is great to use on the face, going on smooth without having to worry about spreading it with your hands. 

We also supply tinted mineral sunscreen, if the subtle white sheen of zinc oxide sunscreen is something that bothers you. This tinted sunscreen stick is meant to blend with all skin tones, keeping you safe from the sun and making sure you look good while doing it. 

With this product bundle - that includes water resistant sunscreen lotion, a zinc sunscreen stick, and SPF 15 lip balm - you’ll be ready to (safely) go anywhere that this summer might take you.