The Scary Side of Sunscreen

The Summer Solstice last Tuesday officially marked the kickoff of summer for those of us in the northern hemisphere.  And with the 4th of July right around the corner in the U.S. that means a lot of time will be spent in the sun.

I absolutely love this time of year.  The longer days, warm nights and abundance of sun bring me so much joy and happiness.

But being diagnosed with skin cancer quickly devastated my summer bliss.

When I was diagnosed with skin cancer over 8 years ago it was devastating to think I would have to live a life slathered in sunscreen, constantly covered up and hiding from the sun.

Being out in nature and soaking up the sun’s rays were part of my livelihood.  My fondest memories as a child centered around being submerged in a pool all day in the hot sun, adventuring the outdoors and playing games until all hours of the evening when the sun went down in the summer.

My diagnosis was a bit shocking at first, since I wasn’t your typical candidate for melanoma.  I was in my mid-twenties, had no history of skin-related cancers in my family, I wore sunscreen most of the time (mind you SPF 15, though), and while I spent time in the sun, I only really had one or two bad sunburns in my life.

The thought of having to wear and smell like sunscreen all the time was repulsive.  But I had to do what was best for my health, right?

For the first few years after being diagnosed with skin cancer, and before I dove into the world of functional health, I stocked up on typical name brand sunscreens with a minimum of SPF 30 at my local drug store.

What I didn’t realize was…

My skin cancer was not a symptom of too much sun, but an indication of how dysfunctional my body was on the inside.

Once I began my training in Functional Diagnostic Nutrition back in 2012, I quickly realized that my skin cancer was not a symptom of too much sun, but rather an indication of how dysfunction my body was on the inside.

One of the very first functional lab tests I ran on myself was an at-home urine test that looked at something called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress measures the amount of DNA or cellular damage, which is one of the driving factors for any type of cancer.

At the time of my skin cancer diagnosis, my oxidative stress was higher than optimal, meaning I had more cellular damage than I should at my age, giving me an increased risk for skin cancer, or any kind of cancer for that matter.

Wearing sunscreen is only part of the solution to preventing skin cancer.

In this week’s video I dive into more detail about how oxidative stress increases the risk for skin cancer and how the right kind of sunscreen is part of the prevention solution.

Cancer cells are a result of an increase in something called aerobic glycolysis and high levels of oxidative stress.  Free radicals or damaged cells associated with oxidative stress accumulate because of an increased stress on the body.  One of the biggest oxidative stress factors is environmental toxins.

One of the ways I’ve been able to stay skin cancer free for over 6 years now was by reducing the amount of oxidative stress in my body by reducing the amount of toxins I come in contact with.

I immediately realized that typical name brand sunscreens were part of the cause.

Every year the Environmental Working Group (a non-profit organization with a mission to improve the quality and safety of our environment) produces a report about the best and worst sunscreens on the market based on toxicity.

Just look at the name brand sunscreen products that made this year’s worst list:

• Banana Boat
• Coppertone
• CVS
• Equate
• Neutrogena

For years I had been lathering myself up with toxic sunscreen, not paying attention to toxins in my environment and not properly protecting my skin from the sun.

Now my favorite non-toxic sunscreen brands are ones that I get at my local health food store, Alba and Kiss My Face.  I have switched all of our household products for non-toxic versions and I make sure to wear at least SPF 30 when I spend time outdoors.

Aside from the toxic ingredients, another misleading fact about sunscreen is the SPF value.  The most commonly used SPF value is 15.  Prior to my diagnosis SPF 15 was my coverage of choice too, until I learned that you would have to use at least one ounce, the size of a shot glass, to get SPF 15 coverage in one area.  Yikes!

Studies are showing that SPF over 50 doesn’t really provide you any more coverage.

To truly protect your skin from the sun and its damaging rays, you’ll want to:

• Use SPF 30-50
• Pick a non-toxic sunscreen brand
• Re-apply frequently
• Consider a hat or UV protective clothing for extended sun exposure

Reducing your exposure to toxins and getting adequate SPF coverage are the best things you can do this summer, to reduce the accumulation of oxidative stress in your body and to prevent skin or any other cancer in the future.

For a full list of the best sunscreen brands to buy to reduce your toxic load and to learn more about how to protect your skin this summer check out the Environmental Working Group’s Annual Guide to Sunscreen here.