June 29, 2021 Episode details provided by Jasmine Borschberg, Founder Tempat Senang Laboratories
At the top of our nasties list are the chemical sun filters used in sunscreens. These are not to be confused with mineral sunblocks. Chemical filters absorb the sun’s harmful rays whereas mineral sunblock refracts the harmful rays away from your skin.
Up until recently, chemical sun filters have been the more popular choice with consumers. One of the main reasons is strictly out of vanity. People don’t like the ghostly white look mineral sunblocks offer, but here’s the downside to being vain.
Studies at the University of Hawaii and 6 other countries (Australia, Mexico, Palau, Key west, Virgin Islands, Aruba) have banned sunblocks that use these ingredients.
- Oxybenzone
- Octocrylene
- Avobenzone
- 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor
- Triclosan
- Methyl paraben
- Ethyl paraben
- Butyl paraben
- Benzyl paraben
These sunblock ingredients are killing off the coral reefs. And here’s a horrifying fact – a chemical such as oxybenzone is so toxic, that a single drop diluted into a water solution with the volume of six Olympic sized swimming pools is enough to start killing coral.
You have to ask yourself if sunscreen and other skincare products with these chemicals are really what you want to slather your body with? Because if they kill coral reefs at such a low dose and at an alarming rate, think about what they do to your body.
Just 20 minutes after applying sunscreen that contains the chemical oxybenzone you can already measure it in your urine. Now that you know this, ask yourself; is this something you want in your system?
According to studies over 80% of the population in the USA has oxybenzone in their blood.
Some of these ingredients are considered to be endocrine disruptors which are chemicals that interfere with our hormones. A little white streaking from mineral sunblock might be a small price to pay to get away from these ingredients. Marketing companies are hard at work selling an unrealistic idea of skincare.
Just think about the classic image of a lifesaver on the beach with a white nose. Worry less about how you look and more about the poison entering your system. Wear your natural sunblock as a badge of honour, and others will too.