Sunny Days - Guest Post

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May 7

Hi, I'm Kelly and Amy has graciously let me post today about a subject that’s near and dear to my heart...or rather skin. Today I’m here to talk about the importance of suncare. Amy and I are friends through her partner JC and I spent probably too much time at a recent dinner party they had discussing this subject. I’m actually also a partner in a mineral suncare brand called Block Island Organics. Our company’s mission is to provide safe, effective and loveable non-toxic suncare products. With the summer around the corner and the sun staying out longer, it’s time to make sure we take extra care of our skin. Truthfully it should be a year-round habit but for a lot of people it's top of mind as summer approaches. Do you know that the sun is the biggest culprit of skin damage? And the ultimate way to prevent your skin from aging and skin cancer is sunscreen. For example, a recent study came out of the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia concluded that a bit of sunscreen can provide 100% protection from skin cancer. The quote is pretty powerful:

"Researchers found sunscreen provides 100 per cent protection against all three forms of skin cancer: BCC (basal cell carcinoma); SCC (squamous cell carcinoma); and malignant melanoma."

Few things in life are 100% so now can you see why I love something like sunscreen. To get the full benefits of sunscreen their recommendation is to use it everyday with multiple applications throughout the day.

My personal rule is that if I’m going out in the sun, I need to wear sunscreen. Since I wear sunscreen daily, I prefer to use a non-toxic product on my skin. There are two options in sunscreen: mineral and chemical. So what’s the difference? The difference is in the sunscreen’s active ingredients. Mineral sunscreen active ingredients are titanium dioxide and / or zinc oxide, natural ingredients from the earth. Chemical sunscreen active ingredients are not natural. The Environmental Working Group expressed concern over the use of these chemical active ingredients. You can go to their web site to find more information on this subject (http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/). Oh and active ingredients are what prevent the suns’ rays from doing their harm (it protects you from UVA and, ideally, UVB rays). Now there might also be some chemicals in a mineral sunscreen so remember to look at the inactive ingredients as well. At Block Island Organics our sunscreens include natural and / or certified organic ingredients.

I wish I knew about the importance of sunscreen from an early age. To be honest it didn’t become a part of my daily habit until my 30s. And sun damage is actually cumulative so the earlier you start, the better. I welcome the opportunity to tell parents (and kids & teens) about the benefits of using sunscreen early on in life. For new parents out there, a side note, some dermatologists recommend using zinc only sunscreens for babies 6 months and up. Titanium dioxide is safe but some say zinc is better for sensitive skin plus it's a naturally occurring compound in the body. Additionally zinc oxide is known for its antimicrobial properties, which can help to enhance wound healing. For babies under 6 months it’s recommended to cover up and stay out of the sun as much as possible rather than using sunscreen.