Sunscreen 101 Wellness
ashley smith shares everything you need to know. Wearing sunscreen is a no-brainer, but knowing which products to choose and which to avoid requires a bit more information. No worries (those cause frown lines), just take the 30A Kids Club crash course in everything sun care:
product from an aerosol can or bottle may become flammable—not a risk you want to take if you’re going from an afternoon swim to a beach bonfire.
History of Sunscreen
Sunscreen’s shelf life depends primarily on how it is stored. If kept at optimum conditions in a cool, dry place, sunscreen can last for three years and maintain its potency. Over time, however, the compounds in sunscreen breakdown: first the emulsifier, then the active ingredients. This means you should check the bottle’s expiration date and toss it if it has expired. Sometimes sunscreen can become ineffective or lose potency before the expiration date if it’s stored in beach bags or left in hot cars, which cause the ingredients to degrade more rapidly—within six months to a year. In that event, buy a new bottle of sunscreen each year.
For centuries, people protected themselves from the sun’s rays by coating their skin in mixtures of oil, clay, and mud, but sunscreen as we know it wasn’t invented until the early 20th century. Introduced in the 1930s, it later underwent top secret military research. As a matter of skin health, sunscreen was marketed to the general public in the 1960s; however, breakthroughs in UVA and UVB protection didn’t occur until the 1980s.
What to Look For Sunscreen protects you from the sun in one of two ways: it blocks and reflects light, or absorbs it. Mineral compounds, sometimes labeled as inorganic compounds, block and reflect light—the two most common being zinc oxide and titanium oxide. Organic compounds (more accurately called chemical compounds) absorb and scatter UV rays to prevent sun damage, and are typically listed as oxybenzone and avobenzone. Your best option is to check the ingredients label for sunscreens that provide both types of coverage, and are labeled “broad spectrum.”
Who Needs Sunscreen + How Often Everyone. Yep, that means you, and you, and you with the sun-kissed complexion and tan that lasts all year. No matter how bronzed your skin, you still need sunscreen, preferably 15-30 minutes before going outside. And despite what some labels boast, sunscreen needs to be re-applied every two hours. Within a couple of hours, the active ingredients have either washed away or have been absorbed.
What to Avoid While spray-on sunscreens are a huge hit thanks to application ease, they are hit-or-miss when it comes to protection. With wriggling kids anxious to jump in the water, chances are they’re dotted in a light mist rather than coated in sunscreen. Plus, any spray-on 72
30A Kids Club Magazine
How Long Is Sunscreen Effective
What we Love Butterbean Organics makes the list, boasting a number one ranking with the Environmental Working Group (we featured Butterbean Organics in the March issue). Plus, the company was founded by local Mom-preneur Summer Brown who uses only unrefined products, including beeswax, neem oil, vitamin E, shea butter and non-nano sized particle zinc oxide. For sensitive or rash-prone skin, 30A Kids Club photographer Jade Lott gives Blue Lizard Sunscreen her personal stamp of approval. “It’s the only thing I’ve found that doesn’t cause a rash for my little one” she said. Publisher Susan Vallee prefers rash guards and hats for her boys and either Butterbean Organics or Badger Balm for their faces, ears, legs and feet. She also avoids going to the beach or pool between the hours of noon and 2 pm (when the sun is strongest). “Melanoma took the life of my nephew several years ago,” she said. “It sounds overprotective to buy rash guards, hats and slather on sunscreen for an hour at the beach, but it may very well be a life or death issue for you or your child one day. It only takes a few minutes to protect the skin. Once you get in the habit it becomes part of the summer routine.”