Active ingredients on the tube I've got:
Benzophenone-3
Octinoxate
Octisalate
Octocrylene
Inactive ingredients:
Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylene/VA Copolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propylparaben.
Here endeth today's chemistry lesson.
Here starts todays bio-chemistry lesson :)
If you're serious about choosing the best sunscreen then you need to look at the Environmental Working Group's recent round up of 952 sunscreens with extensive references to scientific studies on the ingredients.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens2008/summary.phpThe scary stat:
"Only 15% of 952 products analyzed met EWG's criteria for safety and effectiveness,"
A quick review of that ingredient list
Benzophenone-3 (Oxybenzone) - Hazzard score 8/10
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=704372"When benzophenone-3 penetrates into the skin, the level of Reactive Oxygen Species increases above that produced naturally under UV illumination."
Octinoxate - Hazzard score 4/10
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=704203"Octylmethoxycinnamate decreased the hormonal release significantly in male and female rats , potentially affecting the reproductive system and sexual maturation."
Octisalate - Hazzard score 3/10
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=704204Octocrylene - Hazzard 3/10
"Produces damaging reactive oxygen species upon exposure to sunlight"
Notice how a couple of these igredients produce more reactive oxygen species (ROS) than if you didnt use them. So while you might not get burnt, damage is still being done.
Many ROS's are also know as free radicals, which you may know you need to eat your fruits and vegies to get the anti-oxidants to balance them out.
Anything with zinc in is the way to go Personally I use this organic olive oil based sunscreen [disclaimer: girlfriends shop site]
purchase.mionegroup.com/en/product/13430. (It only can say spf15 cause they have to pay the Theraputical Good Administration to claim more. labs test are ) It has extra anti-oxidants to mop up any damage. Diet is important too and I take a two pronged approach by supplementing with an antioxidant superfood
purchase.berryradical.com which is like an internal sunscreen. The book 'The anti-cancer diet' by Dr David Servan-Schreiber is a good one to read.
Check out the EWG stuff any try either the one I use or anything from their recommendedl list. Once you go through the ingrdients you'll be able to work out what you want anyway. It's a bit of effort to learn about it but seeing how much we're in the sun its deadly important info.
