Spring is probably my favorite season, this year probably more so than in the past. Considering I am not even 3 months out from my mastectomy, the irony of the whole ‘rebirth’ metaphor is not lost on me.
We have had really fantastic weather, which is lucky, because I am on a sports field 4-5 days a week, and twice on Sundays (literally). I can’t do as much yardwork as I normally do -- not complaining -- but I am itching to be outdoors as much as possible. Actually itching around the clock, thanks to the high pollen counts.
While I am LOVING all the outside time, the sun this year feels really, really strong to me. Cue anxiety re: sun exposure, skin damage, etc. Then cue anxiety re: sunscreen chemicals. Weeeeeeee as we go down the slippery slope!
See how a little information is dangerous? I decided to read up on sunscreens so that I could choose now a good brand as my go-to sunscreen. Before summer is in full swing and all that’s left on the shelves are the bottles of tanning oil. Really? People still want to fry themselves?
Again, I went to EWG (you will get sick of me pointing you there, seriously) to check out their annual sunscreen guide. The 2013 guide isn’t out yet, which made me feel like I’m ahead the curve, so I perused the 2012 guide and then checked out some of the low-rated brands. Some salient points:
- The best way to protect your skin from the sun is to cover it -- wide-brim hats and long sleeves
- The ingredient oxybenzone should NOT be used on children. Experts have been cautioning against this since the 1990s!
Check it out for yourself to see how your sunscreens rank. And be sure to read up on active ingredients, like oxybenzone. The current recommendation is that mineral-based sunscreens -- such as those containing zinc oxide -- are safer and more effective.
Imagine my delight to find a few Coppertone products among the lowest-ranked sunscreens. I grew up on Coppertone, and it’s still a mainstay on supermarket and drugstore shelves. Hooray! I went with the Sensitive Skin Gentle Formula w/ Zinc Oxide. The Pure & Simple line is also rated very well.
I had a good laugh looking up Zinka, that flourescent-colored noseblock for surfers. Since everything 80s is trendy again, don’t be surprised if you see it this year on a beach near you.
Happy sunning!
Jazzy