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At Optimal Health & Aesthetics, we provide you with
sunscreen options available only in the physician’s
office. Melashade is a powerful, pure physical
sunscreen with the antioxidant protection of melanin. It
gives your skin a warm glow in a long-lasting,
non-greasy formulation. Liptect provides your
lips with an SPF of 45, with pure physical sunscreens
and the antioxidant Vitamins C and E. It looks lovely
alone or over lipstick. Solar Protection SPF 60 is for
patients following laser procedures who need absolute
sun protection and coverage of post-procedure redness.
This is also a wonderful sunscreen for redness caused by
other skin conditions such as rosacea. We also carry
mineral makeup from the Éminence Organic Skin Care
line. Come in and sample these products – you will
be amazed at how beautiful sunscreen can be!
Protection of your face, neck, and chest from the
damaging rays of the sun is essential in slowing skin
aging. But there is growing concern in the medical
community that our extensive use of sunscreen may be
causing unanticipated harm to our overall health.
Concern can be separated into two categories – pervasive
use of chemical sunscreens, and the blocking of Vitamin
D production caused by both chemical and physical
sunscreens.
What is the worry about chemical sunscreens?
First a word about physical vs. chemical sunscreens. The
two most common physical sunscreens are titanium dioxide
and zinc oxide. They stay on the surface of the skin and
reflect or absorb ultraviolet light, preventing the UV
rays from penetrating the skin. They provide broad
spectrum photoprotection, meaning they block both UV-A
rays (implicated in premature aging of the skin) and
UV-B rays (the primary cause of sunburn. Both UV-A and
UV-B rays play a role in skin cancer). They are safe,
stable, and nonirritating. The rest of those “active
ingredients” listed on bottles of sunscreen are chemical
sunscreens. They enter the skin and absorb light rays.
Chemical sunscreens (other than avobenzone/Parsol, which
is not effective against UV-B rays) do not protect
against UV-A rays, and can be irritating to sensitive
skin.
The primary health concern with chemical sunscreens is
that many of them possess estrogen-like properties. This
ability to stimulate estrogen receptors is especially
concerning for women with increased risk for breast
cancer, and for our children, who are using a lot of
sunscreen as they are growing and developing. In 1997,
Europe banned all chemical sunscreens except avobenzone
due to health concerns.
What is the worry about Vitamin D? Vitamin D is
made in the skin when stimulated by UV-B rays.
Sunscreens are incredibly effective in shutting down
this production. Why does it matter? This essential
hormone is critical in prevention of osteoporosis,
several cancers, auto-immune disorders like multiple
sclerosis, obesity, hypertension, and may even play a
role in autism in children. One would think that in
sunny Arizona, Vitamin D deficiency would be rare, but
it is quite common, in part due to sun avoidance and the
effectiveness of sunscreens.
Our
Recommendations:
· For prevention of premature skin
aging, you must be diligent about sunscreen on your
face, neck, and chest. But, for the sake of your overall
health, allow yourself to get some sun exposure on the
rest of your body. Even 10 to 20 minutes of sun exposure
on non-sunscreened skin can help your body make the
Vitamin D it needs.
· Check your 25-hydroxy Vitamin D3 level. Vitamin D is
so essential to your health; you need to be sure your
levels are normal. If your level is low, you can easily
bring it to normal with supplementation.
· Use physical sunscreens and minimize use of chemical
sunscreens. Melashade and mineral makeup use only
physical sunscreens and can be a great option for every
day use.
· Be thoughtful about chemical sunscreen use with your
children. Think of all the years of sunscreen use they
will need! Try to use physical sunscreens and sun
protective clothing and hats as much as possible for
them. Sun protective clothing will give your children
(and yourselves!) better sun protection than any
sunscreen can provide. You can check out
www.Solumbra.com or
www.Coolibar.com sun protection clothing lines.
Also, don’t forget that sunglasses are essential for eye
protection. |
