Spring break has come to an end and while a lot of us just stayed home and slept our lives away, many spent their days on a warm, sunny beach. The question is – how many of you actually used sunscreen to protect from UV rays? Did you still end up getting a sunburn?
The benefits
Allowing your skin to get a little sunlight is important. It helps our bodies to generate Vitamin D, which gives us strong bones and helps regulate levels of serotonin and tryptamine.
There are many benefits to using sunscreen. Sunscreen can help prevent sunburns, protects from skin cancer and it blocks out some UV radiation. It also helps reduce the appearance of dark spots, blotchiness and wrinkles. Who wouldn’t want fresh and healthy looking skin 20 years from now?
The not-so-beneficial
While most sunscreens on the market block out some UVB radiation, many sunscreens actually fail to block UVB rays and may contain harmful chemicals. Some don’t even screen UVA rays at all, making the use of them risky.
Some of the chemicals found in sunscreen can cause allergic reactions and absorb into the blood. They can also cause skin irritation and some may even lead to cancer.
Going the extra mile
Drowning your skin with tons and tons of sunscreen will not get the job done. It is essential that we all get into good sun safety habits – finding shade during the hottest parts of the day (11 a.m.-3 p.m.), wearing loose-fitting clothing, and keeping our bodies and skin hydrated.
The point here is not to stop using sunscreen completely–the sun is part of living a healthy lifestyle, but too much of what we think is a good thing can sometimes be bad. It’s important for consumers to read and understand labels when purchasing sunscreen. Do you want to slather toxic chemicals on your skin to protect from sunburn? I don’t think so!
Resources: environment.about.com, Cosmopolitan and Huffington Post Style