Liz Thompson
The sunscreen debate continues.
First it was thought the higher an SPF, the better. Then we found out that anything over SPF 50 was probably a wash. Next we learned that mineral sunscreen provided better protection over chemical sunscreen. Now some are wondering if sunscreen itself is causing damage.
You read that right. Some purists believe that any sunscreen ingredients have potential to damage the health when exposed to UV rays. This would mean the best line of defense against UV damage (premature aging, spots, and cancer) is covering up and avoiding prolonged sun exposure.
While the jury is still out on this idea, avoiding the sun is not practical to most of us. Those of us who live in areas of long winters live for the outdoors once the weather gets nice. And for those of you who live in sunny locales, rays are a part of your daily existence.
With this in mind, sunscreen is a definite must have. Sort of a lesser-of-two-evils.
While I am a total sun lover, I can’t ignore what years of exposure have done to my skin. It seems I have more freckles and spots every year, and definitely take sun protection more seriously than ever. Still, you won’t find me hiding from the sun. You have to love it while you’ve got it.
My advice? Choose a mineral sunscreen (because they provide safer and more effective protection), that doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients. Take a look at my suncreen picks for the season.
Which camp are you in? High SPF? All natural protection? Or no sunscreen at all?
[Image by Kiran Foster at Flickr.com, cc]
