Most Sunscreens are Toxic – Here’s What to Wear Instead

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Spring is already here and summer is not too far away. That means, for many of us, that consistent sun exposure is about to become part of our lives again.

After what I consider to be a 4-5 month “hibernation,” this is incredibly exciting. The amount of light, the heat of the sun, and longer days are very energizing.

While this is all well and good, the topic of sun exposure is becoming an increasingly pertinent issue. It’s a skin issue, in particular.

Most people are generally aware that UV rays from the sun can and will damage the skin.

Both UV-A and UV-B radiation from the sun damage the skin in ways that can potentially lead to things like dry skin, aged/leathery skin, and even skin cancer when there is too much exposure.

In my opinion, you don’t need to know any more than this to act responsibly. I am able to manage my skin well through the warmer months just by wearing sunscreen at necessary times.

This is probably a great place to start as I notice many people are reluctant to wear sunscreen at all.

Honestly, I don’t blame you. I was right there with you only a couple years ago. But since I found out about the damage that can be done and also feeling the consequences of getting sunburned repeatedly, I had to make changes. 

So, let’s start with sunscreen. Just wearing it in general is highly advisable. Especially on days where you know you’ll be in the sun for a while.

Most experts would recommend wearing sunscreen every single day, including my esthetician who I saw not too long ago. I literally said, “Every single day?!” to her in disbelief and without any hesitation, she nodded her head and said, “Every day.”

I won’t lie; I haven’t been wearing sunscreen every day. It still feels too extreme for me. But I wear it several times a week now and if I’m in doubt, I either put it on early or bring it with me wherever I’m going. 

Now we know we should wear sunscreen, but there’s only one problem: many sunscreens are toxic.

Yes, the active ingredients in most retail sunscreens are potentially toxic if absorbed into the skin and of course, some of it will always get absorbed into the skin.

These ingredients are known as ‘photostabilizers’ and what they do is absorb the UV radiation before it damages the skin cells. That’s great, until you hear the side effects.

One of the most popular toxic compounds that is used is called oxybenzone, which has been known to disrupt endocrine function by mimicking estrogen in the body.

Oxybenzone can also disrupt reproductive function in both sexes. What’s particularly worrisome about this compound is that it absorbs into the skin quite easily, making it’s side effects a possibility if you apply this ingredient onto your skin regularly and don’t wash yourself thoroughly afterwards. 

Some other potentially toxic ingredients in sunscreens are homosalate and octinoxate. These compounds don’t absorb into the skin as well as oxybenzone but still have shown to have an estrogenic effect on the body (a very common issue in many consumer products today). 

Because the aforementioned compounds are becoming less trustworthy, many sunscreens are now starting to adopt avobenzone as their primary active ingredient.

While this looks to be a step in the right direction, avobenzone is still a photostabilizer and does absorb into the skin. This may not be the solution the industry was looking for. 

So what are you supposed to use if these sunscreens are potentially toxic?

The safest and most realistic solution is to use a mineral sunscreen. Mineral sunscreens work differently than chemical sunscreens as they don’t absorb the UV radiation, but reflect it away from the skin.

The active ingredient in these sunscreens is either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide (typically the latter) and they’re very effective, just like chemical sunscreens are.

What’s great about mineral sunscreens is that they’re non-toxic because their ingredients don’t absorb into the skin. In fact, you can sometimes see with your own eyes that it just sits on the surface of your skin.

For this reason, it is an effective and worry-free sunscreen option because you don’t have to think about chemicals accumulating in your body and making sure you scrub your skin clean each time you wear it.

The only downside to these sunscreens is that some of them will leave a white tint on your skin while wearing it because that is, in fact, all that it does. This is a minor inconvenience, in my experience, but a noteworthy one.

Sunscreens are fast-adapting to consumer demands, however, and mineral sunscreens are improving in texture by the year (just like chemical sunscreens are trying to). 

My current mineral sunscreen is CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion.

This provides, hands down, the best user experience from a texture and comfort standpoint that I have had with mineral sunscreens. It is likely because it is a lotion so it just feels nice to have on your skin. However, I always find this to be the case with CeraVe products.

This one has SPF 30, which I have found to be all I ever need.

You will notice this option does contain homosalate and octinoxate, but luckily in smaller amounts than a normal chemical sunscreen. It does also contain zinc oxide.

When I bought this, I was only on the lookout for oxybenzone because that is the most toxic ingredient. But now I may try another option once this one runs out.

I originally bought this lotion because it contains hyaluronic acid, an excellent ingredient for skin hydration. I’ve been needing this badly with my dry skin and it’s certainly helped.

Hyaluronic acid can reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and is also great when paired with a sunscreen because it will help combat the intensity of the sun from drying out your skin.

For an option that doesn’t contain homosalate or octinoxate, a good alternative would be CeraVe Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30. It has excellent, hydrating ingredients that work as a lotion for the skin. It even has a “sheer tint” to offset any visible white layer that may sit on top of the skin.

For a full-body sunscreen option, EltaMD UV Sport Sunscreen Lotion is my recommendation. It has a transparent zinc oxide formula that takes well to the skin, providing comfort without a layer of white film sitting on your skin. It is water-resistant and has SPF 50, which will keep you well protected from the sun.

As you can probably tell, I’m looking for the perfect formula of non-toxicity, comfortable feel, and hyaluronic acid as a bonus. From what I can tell, this is the ultimate when it comes to sunscreens and that is what I’ve recommended to you here.

Shoot for keeping the skin protected, hydrated, and away from toxic compounds and you’ll be ahead of the curve. Skincare is a long-term investment and you’ll be glad you tackled these issues earlier rather than later.