When Sunscreen Shopping, what are your considerations? We all must consider the cost. Many times the cost of the product limits your choice. This is true of many items we shop for. Sunscreen is important, and you need to know how to find the best for you at your price point.
Just because sunscreen is expensive don’t be fooled about how well the product will protect your skin. You must read the label on the product container.
Skin Protection
Some sunscreens may do a better job of moisturizing while it protects your skin. If you are simply wanting a product to keep your skin safe from sunburn, the protection is what should be important to you.
You can add the extras as your budget allows. They are not a bad thing, just don’t neglect your skin protection because you can’t purchase the one with all the extras today. Your main sunscreen shopping concern is protection.
As you are becoming aware of the different kinds of sunscreen and how they work, keep in mind skin protection. This is what you need first and foremost. It may be that some products are better for your family. Some may smell nicer. Now is the time to learn a bit about the best choice for you and your family on your budget.
Give this sunscreen shopping purchase some thought before you just smear it on your family’s skin. Or your own for that matter. Think about how they work, and make informed decisions about what is important to you. Sunscreen Label
What Will Your Family Need To Be Protected?
What will your family be doing when they are may have sun exposure?
- Will they be in the water?
- Are you going to be out all day, or just a couple of hours?
- Do all your family memebers have the same skin tones?
- Is there shade from trees or canapoies?
- Does the theme park have cemement everywhere?
- Will there be places to get in where it is cool and shaded?
What kind of day in the sun are you protecting your skin from?https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm
Chemical or Physical
Do you want a chemical sunscreen that has to absorb into your skin, to protect your skin? Or do you want a Physical product that stays on the surface of your skin and blocks the dangerous suns’ rays from getting to your skin?
Here are a few of the pros and cons to think about as you are trying to protect your family from the sun.
Physical Sunscreens
While both physical and chemical sunscreens have been proven to protect your skin from the sun, there are considerations for what you want for your family.
Physical sunscreens are made from natural ingredients. They will sit on top of the skin and reflect the UV rays from your skin.
Two of the most common ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These are both approved by the FDA, the regulatory board for sunscreen sold in the US. Remember, sunscreen is considered an over-the-counter drug because it claims to help prevent skin cancer.
Advantages for Physical Sunscreens
- Physical sunscreens are not absorbed into your skin so there are no trace chemicals left in your or your families bodies.
- Your skin is protected immediately after application, you don’t have to wait.
- Physical is safer for young children and pregnant women.
Disavantages In My Mind for Physical Sunscreens
- Usually a thicker solution, so takes more to get good coverage
- This kind can appear white on the skin when you get enough on to cover
- As this physical kind sits on top of your skin, it is easier to get rubbed off
- When playing sports or swimming you may need to apply more often.
Chemical Sunscreens
The formulas of the chemical sunscreens have many choices to protect your skin from the sun. These kinds of sunscreens must be absorbed into your skin to work.
This mixture of chemicals works to break down the heat from the sun’s rays so the body can release it to keep it from burning your skin. This is where the danger may lie for you and your family is if the chemicals build up in your body. The industry as a whole is working to remove the chemicals that do tend to build up, but they aren’t all gone yet.
Some people did retain enough of the chemicals from the sunscreen to show unsafe levels in their bodies with testing. These chemicals were shown to affect the reproductive system. The FDA has rules and guides on deadlines for removing these chemicals. However, there have been delays in enforcing this deadline.
The issue is keeping the sunscreen stable for use long enough to allow the manufacturers enough time to get the product to you in a useable condition.
This has increased my interest in using Sun Blocking Clothing along with our sunscreens. The possibility that we might be getting a product that might not be in top condition when it got to our places of purchase? That is putting too much faith in unknown hands.
Advantages of Chemical Sunscreens
- Most brands go on like a skin lotion, fairly transparent so you are not so white looking.
- You need less product to get full protection, so container lasts longer.
Disadvantages of Chemical Sunscreens In My Mind
- It takes 20 or 30 minutes for the sunscreen to start protecting you. For your face this is 30 minutes to get to a mild sunburn if you forget to get it on early. Sunburn is not a good thing even a mild one.
- These formulas do have chemicals that are by design, absorbed into the skin. For the product to work it has to be sbsorbed. You also need to be careful for skin irritation of eyes and skin.
There are many reports of concerns about these products and the chemicals that enable them to work. While reports may not be proven, beyond a doubt, nevertheless, the questions about the safety of these products are real.
As there is no data stating that applying 2 times in a 24 hour time period can cause concerns for safety. The exact parameters of how often you can apply the sunscreen and know your body will flush it all out are unknown. Until there can be definite guidelines, you will need to make an informed decision.
Now you can protect your family from the sun. That is not a choice you can delay. Getting your family protected is important and your awareness can get it done. If you are concerned about residue in your or your family’s bodies, the physical sunscreens, along with sun blocking clothing is a better way for you.
Our Information Age
The world we live in is changing constantly. There are many new and proven ways for you to stay up on what is happening in this part of your skin safety.
At this point, we do know of the dangers of too much sun. We know that skin cancer is the result of too much sun. Those are facts, not theories.
So the important thing is to protect your skin. A good long-sleeve sun block shirt or cover-up will go a long way towards keeping you safe from the sun. Adding a sun hat and your sunglasses are very important. Make sure your sunscreen is covering whatever parts of your body that are not protected when you wear these items of clothing. Sun Blocking Hats
There are many things we can do to make us safer, and our time in the sun less dangerous. If all this seems too much, be sure to wear sunscreen. Reapply often. Keep yourself safe from the sun. Keep infants away from direct sun exposure. There is not any safe sun for them.
Take breaks in the shade. Set up your little camp under a shade or umbrella. Get in where there is no sun and an air conditioner often. Make sure you and your family drink enough water.
You can add sun blocking clothing along through the summer as your family finds out how it wants to have fun in the sun. If the heat of the hotter part of summer is too much, make sure you observe the safer hours of before 10 AM and after 4 PM for your safe fun in the sun-times.
Shopping for sunscreens is important, and so is sun safety.
Sami’s Take On Sunscreen Shopping
As I review the options in sunscreen for me, I realize that just grabbing a container of sunscreen won’t work. I need to review the label, and decide if we are using chemical or physical sunscreens, and be alert for signs that the product is in good condition. That liquids are not watery. That creams are not gummy. That it doesn’t smell sour or “off.”
With an SPF 30, about 3 percent of UVB rays hit your skin.
An SPF of 50 allows about 2 percent of those rays through. While that may seem like a small difference until you realize that the SPF 30 is allowing 50 percent more UV radiation onto your skin.
So you will be getting some sun with sunscreen. You will need to do your part by being aware of the time of day you and your family are in the sun.
Completely blocking the sun even with specially designed sun blocking clothing and sunscreen together is not a guarantee. However, you can help by using the information we have to work with.
Disclaimer
Information here is to help you become aware. Not intended to replace your doctor’s advice. I am simply sharing what I have learned and hope to help keep your family safe.