We all know that extended exposure to UV rays of the sun can be harmful to our skin. Due to this, many experts suggest the use of sunscreen when going out in the sun or on a beach where you will remain exposed to the sun for an extended period.
However, many people are not aware that most of the chemical based sunscreens are dangerous to our skin and body. They mostly contain ingredients that are toxic for our body. Some of them even have free radicals that are directly linked to various types of cancers.
You should be wary of sunscreens containing Benzophenone-3, Titanium Dioxide, Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC), Oxybenzone, Homosalate (HMS 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC), parabens, avobenzone, Octyl-dimethyl-PABA (OD-PABA) and Dioxybenzone. Natural sunscreens are one of the best sunscreens on the market. Aside from containing natural ingredients, their regular usage nourishes your skin. They contain healthy oils such as virgin coconut oil, aloe vera, shea butter and numerous other beneficial ingredients.
You should apply sunscreens that match your skin type and SPF. A Food and Drug Administration’s rating system, SPF indicates the time that you can spend in the sun without getting burned. For instance, a sunscreen with an SPF of would let you stay in the sun eight times longer than you could without applying any sunscreen. You’ll find SPF factors ranging from two to forty and above.
Does a Natural Sunscreen Work?
Natural sunscreen protects your skin by deflecting the harmful sunrays. These sunscreens are quite stable and the overall protection depends on the particle size of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, and both can help in protecting against UVB and UVA rays. Natural sunscreens have been duly approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Advantages of using a natural sunscreen
There are numerous advantages of using natural sunscreen as part of an overall natural skin care approach to health. Firstly, there are no dangerous ingredients in them, so you won’t have to worry about any adverse effects (discoloration, cancer, etc) on your skin even when usign them on consistent basis. Natural sunscreens have minimal impact on our fragile environment as they do not emit harmful chemicals in our atmosphere. People who consistently swim in rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and oceans wont’ release any chemicals in the water by using chemical laden sunscreens.
Another advantage of using natural sunscreen is that you can use it on daily basis without worrying about the effects of chemicals as they contain all natural products. This is best for all those who have sensitive skin and cannot go out without applying sunscreen. Natural sunscreen helps them in reducing the risk of developing skin cancer or signs of aging. Wearing a natural sunscreen with a SPF (sun protection factor) between 15- 30 is good way to do best way to stave off harmful effects of UV rays.
When choosing your natural sunscreen, you should check the label to ascertain the percentage of natural ingredients in the product. Some natural sunscreens have only 80-90 % natural ingredients. Various ingredients such as sesame oil, peanut oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, olive oil, cocoa butter, Aloe Vera and Australian tea tree oil are used for making natural sunscreen and have numerosu health benfits.You should check whether your natural sunscreen has any of these ingredients.