Sunscreen is useful to protect the skin from dangerous sun rays. However, a number of outstanding controversies surrounding skin care products are enough to make people feel worried.
Minimal protection
Sunscreens do not worry about providing enough protection to ward off the UVA rays that accelerate aging. In this case, these anxieties are unfounded.
According to a recent study of 13 types of popular sunscreens, as quoted prevention.com site, only five of them that provides a high level of protection against UVA. The rest was only a secondary level of protection offered.
This discovery was surprising, because UVA is 95 percent of the overall exposure to UV rays to our body, and trigger more free radicals leading to wrinkles and blemishes on the face.
To get the best UVA protection, choose sunscreens that contain avobenzone, Mexoryl, and zinc oxide. Ironically, the sun is quickly making avobenzone become ineffective. Therefore, make sure the compound is paired with a stabilizer such as octocrylene, polyester-8, butyloctyl salicylate, or ethylhexyl methoxycrylene.
Meanwhile, to get protection from free radicals, choose a sunscreen that contains antioxidants like vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid) and E (aka tocopherol), which reduces the harmful molecules as much as 74 percent. The higher order in the list of material content, the greater the concentration.
Cancer Causes
Said the controversy could circulate sunscreens contain compounds that increase the risk of breast cancer. Concerns are due to the generally contain sunscreens oxybenzone (benzophenone-3 alias), which has the unique ability to protect skin from UVA and UVB rays. However, some research indicates that these compounds have effects similar to estrogen, potentially causing cancer cells to grow more rapidly.
An experiment using rats given high doses oxybenzone – far more than that may be exposed by you in a day – have found that estrogen-like effects experienced surprisingly low. That was revealed by Henry Lim, MD, department head demartologi at Henry Ford Health System.
In another study, high concentrations of oxybenzone applied to the entire body of volunteers, every day for four days. Even though the compound was absorbed into their bloodstream, the compound does not have an impact on reproductive hormones, including estrogen.
In essence, there are no studies that prove or conclude that oxybenzone causes cancer. Proven is that sunscreen is one of the best ways to protect themselves from the dangers of UV rays. ”We know the benefits of sunscreen. We do not see any danger,’’said Kenneth janitor, Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society.
If you’re still concerned about the safety of sunscreen you use, just choose the product that contains no oxybenzone.
Vitamin D deficiency
Worry about blocking sunscreen production process vitamin D. In fact, even though sunscreen SPF 30 blocks 97 percent of UVB (rays that allow the skin to produce vitamin D) showed normal use does not lead to deficiency of vitamin D. Part of the reason because people usually do not apply enough sunscreen to cause the problem.
Vitamin D is one of the essential nutrients for the body. Unfortunately, research shows many people have a deficiency of vitamin D.
Simple solution to this problem is to make sure to get more vitamin D in your diet. A good source of vitamin D include salmon, cheese, fortified milk and juice. In addition, it is worth taking a daily supplement containing vitamin D3 at a dose of 1000 IU. This step is very easy and much safer than frying your skin in the sun.