EDUCATION
What's the problem with certain chemicals found in body products?
Visit and donate to EWG, Environmental Working Group and study some of the unpronounceable ingredients in some of the products on your shelf. Many ingredients are found to disrupt hormones and are potentially toxic with repeated use.
What does SPF really mean?
Sun Protection Factor: It is a number that is not very consumer friendly. Here's why. If you normally start to burn in 10 minutes of being in the sun, a SPF of 15 gives you protection 15 times longer. That means then you will not burn for 150 minutes. A sunscreen with a SPF of 30 is only 4% better. Got that?
HUH? Let's talk about the rays. The suns rays send down UVA and UVB rays (just to keep it simple).
WHAT ARE UVA AND UVB?
UVA rays are not the targeted rays that sunscreen protects you from. The exposure to UVA is less obvious and possibly more serious. These are not the rays that make you burn, (hint UVB rays do that).
UVA exposure is more closely linked to deeper skin damage like wrinkles, leathery and sagging skin and other light induced effects of aging.
UVB are the rays that burn and is the measure for sunscreen. Sunscreens target UVB rays. Sunburns contriburte to skin cancer.
ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT:
An SPF of 15 blocks 93% of the sun's UVB reays while SPF of 30 (double 15) blocks 97%, so that is only a 4% more protection. You would think a larger number would also exponentially increase protection. Not a very consumer friendly number indeed.
HOW DO THEY WORK?
Many sunscreens are made with chemicals such as oxybenzone, a sunscreen agent. According to the EWG, these chemicals are rated 8 on a scale of 1 - 10 in toxicity levels. These chemicals breaks down in the sun and are absorbed into the skin.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 97% of Americans are contaminated with these chemicals. Oxybenzone is also associated wtih high concerns of biochemical or cellular level changes, a known endocrine disruptor (hormonal changes).
Ask yourself why they tell you in very tiny print, to protect the product from direct sun and excessive heat.
ALTERNATIVES TO CHEMICAL BARRIERS
Physical barriers. Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide in nano particle size creat a physical barrier. They are minerals that reflect the suns rays. A tee shirt is also a physical barrier but surprisingly is only about a 6 in SPF. I consider the protection of Sun Guard to be about 2 tee shirts worth of protection.
Avoiding the sun between 10 AM and 2 PM is a good practice but if you have to, plenty of sun guard applied every 2 hours, hats, umbrellas are a good idea too.
What my customers say:
My 5 year old son had very bad eczema and was using many types of prescription creams. I received a gift of Plan Bee Balms Hand and Body Balm and decided to try it on my son's skin, I am so happy I did!
Francine from Brooklyn
My 12 year old daughter bought a food wrap from a small market on vacation, it got lost after the first use, she was very sad. I went and bought a different brand of wrap and it wasn't the same.
Marie from San Francisco