Health + Wellness — sun damage

Check the label of your sunscreen or sunblock for both the active and inactive ingredients. It’s best if your sunscreen contains only the active ingredient zinc oxide (it may also contain titanium dioxide). But if your topical sunscreen/sunblock has any of the following toxic chemicals it could actually be doing more harm than good! Here’s a list of some of the sunscreen ingredients to avoid: Avobenzone (Parsol 1789, Eusolex 9020, Escalol 517) Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3, Eusolex 4360, Escalol 567) Dioxybenzone (benzophenone-8) Octocrylene Sulisobenzone (benzophenone-4) Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid (ensulizole) Homosalate Cinoxate PABA (4-Aminobenzoic acid, para-aminobenzoic acid) Padimate O (OD-PABA, octyldimethyl PABA, Escalol...

Introduction Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes its Guide to Sunscreens — a report that rates thousands of sun-care products on ingredient safety and UV protection, and one that regularly sparks debate between consumer-safety advocates and dermatologists. If you've seen headlines about "toxic" sunscreen ingredients or products that supposedly failed the EWG sunscreen guide, it's worth understanding what the guide actually measures, what the current science says, and how to make an informed choice — without swinging too far in either direction. What Is the EWG Sunscreen Guide, Really? The EWG sunscreen guide is an annual report from...

The sun makes life on earth possible. Sunlight also has direct health benefits for humans, catalyzing our production of Vitamin D and even enhancing our mood. Plus, many enjoyable activities involve being in the sun; it’s fun to be outdoors. Yet unfortunately, there is a trade-off. Every second you’re in the sun damages your skin. This skin aging is cumulative and irreversible. It can also lead to serious long-term health consequences including skin cancer. Here’s a little bit more information about sunlight and how it affects us: Sunlight The sun emits Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation (in...