Eco-Friendly Sunscreens: Protecting Your Skin and the Environment
When going outside in the chilly summers and hot weather, the first thing that is your biggest enemy is none other than the sun. Sun rays are so harmful that they not only damage the skin but also go deep down in the skin to cause serious skin concerns, such as hyperpigmentation, dark spots, acne, pimples, clogged pores, sunburns, premature aging, and even skin cancer. Have you ever thought that these types of skin concerns can cause long-term damage to your skin, with the stubborn marks?
To prevent long-term damage to the skin, one can protect the skin with proper skincare products for sun exposure. The best skincare product for protecting the skin from sun exposure is sunscreen. A sunscreen is a magical product in a skincare routine that can help protect your skin from the sun by blocking the UVA and UVB rays. Not all sunscreens are suitable for every skin. Some sunscreens are not able to offer the desired results, and can cause damage to skin as well as the environment. Using eco-friendly sunscreens protecting your skin and the environment is essential.
Eco-Friendly Sunscreens: Protecting Your Skin and the Environment
When you want healthy skin and a green and healthy planet, you must choose the ideal eco-friendly sunscreen. With the growing awareness about the damaging effects of harmful ingredients on the ecosystem, people are switching to eco-friendly products. Eco-friendly products are not only good for the skin but also reduce the effects of chemical ingredients on the environment.
Why is Eco-friendly Sunscreen important?
Sunscreen is an important part of the skincare and is a daily-use product. The sunscreen is generally recommended by dermatologists for the prevention of sunburn and aging signs. Sunscreen can be beneficial in reducing the risk of skin cancer and skin exposure issues. When a person swims, showers, and sweats, the chemical ingredients can enter oceans and rivers, which can affect the aquatic life. Eco-friendly sunscreens contain natural ingredients that do not affect aquatic life. Using eco-friendly sunscreens can be a great step towards the protection of skin as well as the environment.
What Makes a Sunscreen Eco-Friendly?
Eco-friendly sunscreens are designed for the protection of human skin/health, and the environment. An ideal eco-friendly sunscreen can have some essential characteristics, including:
Organic and natural ingredients
The environmentally friendly sunscreens contain organic oils and natural ingredients instead of harmful chemicals that can reduce the effects on the environment. The plant-based moisturizers also come in the category of eco-friendly sunscreens.
Cruelty-free and Vegan ingredients
The eco-friendly sunscreens contain ingredients that are vegan and cruelty-free. Such sunscreens are not tested on animals and don’t contain ingredients that are derived from animals.
Reef-Safe Ingredients
Another traditional sunscreen may contain chemicals that can be proven to cause coral bleaching. On the other hand, the eco-friendly sunscreen doesn’t use chemicals and uses mineral-based ingredients that are not likely to cause any harm to marine life.
Biodegradable Formulas
An eco-friendly sunscreen is made with a biodegradable formula that means that can break down naturally without leaving any harmful residue behind. The biodegradable formula of the eco-friendly sunscreens can help in protecting the aquatic animals and the soil systems.
Plastic-Free or Recyclable
The eco-friendly sunscreens are packed sustainably, including biodegradable tubes and recyclable packaging bottles that can help reduce plastic waste and support the economy.
What are the dangers of Conventional Sunscreens?
Conventional sunscreens are considered effective when it comes to UV protection, but the cost that the environment needs to pay is high. The main dangers and issues that can be caused by the conventional sunscreens are:
- Chemicals in the conventional sunscreens can cause coral DNA damage, reduce reproductive success, and lead to an increase in coral susceptibility to bleaching.
- Certain sunscreen ingredients are causing toxic effects and entering the food chain of aquatic organisms over time.
- Fish, dolphins, and even algae are negatively affected by the chemicals of sunscreen.
- The sunscreen chemicals can cause reproductive harm as well as developmental issues.
Choosing the Right Eco-Friendly Sunscreen
Choosing the right eco-friendly sunscreen is an essential task that can help you in protecting your skin as well as the environment. With so many options available, it is difficult to choose the right one for you. But whenever you go shopping for an eco-friendly sunscreen, you need to look for the following factors:
- Choose a sunscreen that is made with mineral-based formulas. The mineral-based sunscreens contain ingredients that can block the UV rays. These formulas reflect the UV rays instead of absorbing them.
- You can go for a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher. SPF level matters the most in sunscreens. You can apply the sunscreen every two hours after sweating.
- A water-resistant sunscreen can help you when you are engaged in outdoor activities. Look for the sunscreen that is waterproof or can last for about 40-80 minutes.
- The sunscreens that are free from fragrances and parabens are considered the best for every skin type.
- Many eco-friendly sunscreens are suitable for sensitive, oily, and dry skin. You can go for a sunscreen that is gentle on every skin type.
How to apply the sunscreen responsibly?
You need to apply the sunscreen responsibly so that it does not cause any environmental impact. Some of the eco-friendly sunscreens are responsible for causing minimal environmental impact, if the sunscreens are not used properly. Here are a few tips that you can opt to apply sunscreen responsibly:
- Apply the sunscreen at least 15-20 minutes before entering the water, so that it can absorb into your skin.
- For sun protection, use clothing and hats. It can reduce your dependence on sunscreen.
- Before entering the natural bodies of water, rinse them off.
Final Thoughts
If you use eco-friendly sunscreens, it can contribute to the protection of the skin, along with the environment. You can go for a sunscreen that is reef-safe, biodegradable, and responsibly packed. You can protect your skin with sunscreen from the harmful UV rays and can also contribute to preserving the marine life and ecosystem for future. This small step taken by us can contribute in making a big difference in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions for Eco-friendly Sunscreens
Question 1. Is it safe to use the eco-friendly sunscreens on the face?
Answer. Yes, the eco-friendly sunscreens are good products to use on the face. The eco-friendly sunscreens are made with natural ingredients that can be beneficial for every type of skin. The sunscreens are gentle and can be used even on sensitive skin.
Question 2. What are the things to consider for the eco-friendly sunscreens?
Answer. The factors that need to be considered when choosing an eco-friendly sunscreen include ingredients, packaging, and the environmental practices of the product. The paraben-free and lightweight formulation of the sunscreen can be gentle for the skin.
Question 3. What are the best qualities an eco-friendly sunscreen should have?
Answer. An ideal eco-friendly sunscreen should have mineral-based ingredients and should be free from harmful chemicals. If your preference is eco-friendly, then you can choose a broad-spectrum product that has an SPF of 30 or higher, and can avoid the greenwashing that can be a more preferable eco-friendly choice.
Question 4. How does a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher is best?
Answer. A sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher is considered the best for protecting the skin from the harmful sun rays and IR radiation. A sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher is recommended due to its potential to block a large number of skin damage causing Ultra Violet rays coming from the sun.
Question 5. How do eco-friendly sunscreens help in protecting the environment?
Answer. Eco-friendly sunscreens contribute to protecting the environment by using natural ingredients that are mineral-based. These natural ingredients are less harmful to the ecosystem and can minimize the negative effects on the aquatic organisms. These sunscreens can block the UV rays instead of absorbing them.
