Let’s #ClntheSlate on: Sunscreen

When we think sunscreen, two things usually come to mind:

• Sunscreen is a must for protecting your investment – aka your skin – from damage caused by UV rays
  
• Finding a sunscreen that is safe for your body and the earth, but also works on melinated skin, can feel borderline impossible. 

.Why Use Sunscreen

When we talk about sun protection, we’re really referencing the battle against two types of damaging UV rays: UVA and UVB:

• UVA is a longer wavelength that penetrates deeply into the skin. It’s around during all hours of sunlight – even on the cloudiest days – and isn’t blocked by windows, so being indoors doesn’t mean you’re protected. While better known for causing tans than burns, UVAs are responsible for signs of aging like sunspots and wrinkles.
  
• UVB is a shorter ray that impacts superficial layers of the skin. You’ll notice the impact of this ray more readily, as UVB can be blamed for things like redness, sunburns, darkened scars, and sunspots.

While historically sunscreens have protected against UVB rays, you’ll want to invest in broad spectrum sunscreens to protect against UVB and UVA. And don’t forget about your sunscreen’s SPF, or sun protection factor. This is a measurement of how long, under ideal conditions, it will take for the sun to burn your skin. For instance, if it takes 10 minutes for skin to burn without protection, SPF 50 means it will take 50x longer. Experts agree we should be wearing SPF 15 at minimum; up that to at least SPF 30 for any extended outdoor activity. 

Filters Matter

We can’t talk about sunscreen without discussing filters – without them, sunscreens wouldn’t protect against much of anything. 

In the US, the FDA has approved 16 filters in total, the latest being approved in 1999. Of the 16:

• Two are generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) by the FDA: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These are the two physical filters you’ll find in mineral sunscreens.
• Two of the filters, aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and trolamine salicylate, are not considered GRASE by the FDA, “due to safety issues.” 
• The remaining 12 have not yet received GRASE status as the FDA requires more data; these include for sunscreens containing cinoxate, dioxybenzone, ensulizole, homosalate, meradimate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, padimate O, sulisobenzone, oxybenzone, and avobenzone. 

Filter Concerns

Things get a little hairy when considering potential health and environmental impacts of sunscreen filters. 

• Concern: Studies have raised consumer and scientific concerns around the impact non-GRASE filters may have on coral reefs – namely that they promote reef bleaching. 
• Key to remember: While sunscreen ingredients do leach from the skin into the water, it’s unclear whether these actives enter the oceans in high enough concentrations to truly impact reef health more than environmental factors like pollution, changes in water temperature, and ocean acidification.

• Concern: Tests show that several sunscreen actives are absorbed into the bloodstream, and remain for multiple days. Studies also  imply some non-GRASE filters are potential endocrine disruptors
• Key to Remember: While actives do absorb into the bloodstream, there’s not sufficient evidence confirming they cause bodily harm. Additionally, tests indicating endocrine disrupting potential were performed in vitro – meaning not on living human cells.

 All this to say, while caution and research are key, the jury is still out on most of these filters and their actual impacts to human health and the environment.

Now What

Now the two filters the FDA recognizes as GRASE happen to be effective but also somewhat inelegant. The dreaded white cast you find in physical sunscreens? It’s caused by zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, both of which are white minerals. Strides have been made in micronizing these minerals – making them smaller so they blend better – but  the cast isn’t eliminated for the darkest complexions. Still, that’s no reason to give up on sunscreen.

Remember the 16 filters from before? While only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are GRASE, 12 are still widely used in some of the most elegant chemical (non-physical, also known as “organic”) sunscreens in the US and globally. Beyond this, international sunscreen brands continue to release innovative suncare products that blend seamlessly into all complexions. You’ll generally find superior  sunscreens from Asia, Europe and Australia, in terms of ingredient blends, texture and formulation. Why? The FDA is particularly stringent around filters as it considers sunscreen a drug, and approves ingredients accordingly – hence the lag. Our neighbors in Europe, Asia, and Australia on the other hand categorize sunscreen as a cosmetic; as a result, testing and innovation happens much faster. That’s why there are around 30 approved sunscreen actives internationally, and why you’ll find a number of well-known, effective, and luxurious sunscreens coming out of countries like Korea, Japan, and France. All this to say, there are a bevvy of sunscreen options for all skin-tones, you may just have to look beyond US shelves.

The type of sunscreen you choose and the ingredients you’re comfortable with are a personal choice, but at the end of the day, sunscreen is a non-negotiable. Check back for a list of my favorite sunscreens suitable for all complexions  .