Why I Don't Wear Sunscreen

It is that time of year where almost every women’s magazine I pick up and brand that emails me suggests I need to wear sunscreen daily to protect us from skin cancer and skin damage. My esthetician and dermatologist are on the sunscreen bandwagon too. In the past, I followed their advice, but when I stopped to consider and learn more about the toxic chemicals in most sunscreens I quit sunscreen. Mostly.

Here’s why:

Most sunscreens contain toxic synthetic chemicals that are linked to various health issues. Let that sink in for a moment. Since your skin is your body’s largest organ, consider that “Substances placed on the skin can penetrate into the underlying tissue and eventually reach the blood stream.”

Vitamin D is essential to our health and the optimal way to increase Vitamin D levels is through exposure to the sun. I’m not advocating that you should lay out in the peak hours. I’m not even advocating that you lay out. I’m all for safe sun exposure which allows your body to naturally produce Vitamin D.

There’s no proof that sunscreens prevent most skin cancer. As someone that has previously been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, I was surprised to learn that 500 of the most popular sunscreens may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer according to the Environmental Working Group. When I mentioned that to my dermatologist, her advice was that sunscreen was still the better choice. Maybe. Maybe not. 

As someone with a thyroid-related auto immune disorder, my alarm bells went off when I learned that German researchers found that sunscreens might negatively affect the thyroid.

Here’s what I do:

I dress well. I usually wear a hat and long sleeves if I know I’ll be out in the sun for more than a 15-30 minutes.

I eat a nutrient-dense diet, free of PUFAs to help the skin protect itself.

Use a natural, non-toxic sunscreen when necessary. EWG is a great resource to find a non-toxic sunscreen.

Remember how I said I quit sunscreen mostly? The makeup that I use is a tinted mineral makeup with an SPF 40. I’m not using it for the sunscreen component but rather because I like the way it feels on my skin and I like that it is clean, chemical-free, and fragrance-free. And no, I’m not an affiliate, just a fan.

I firmly believe in bio-individuality and the fact that our bodies and our their needs are unique. This means that while I feel confident about my decision to skip sunscreen, you may not. Do your best to make good choices and put clean things in and on your body but at the end of the day, if you feel sunscreen is still for you, wear it proudly.