Is Sunscreen Bad For You?
From:
Alexandra Goldstein
57 days 17 hours 36 minutes ago
Hello, August! Though this season’s weather has been fairly in flux, when the summer sun comes out to play…it truly beams! We sat down with New York dermatologist,
Dr. Craig Austin to ask him some questions about sun protection, and the best ways to keep our skin safe (and radiant!) this summer. Check it out!
“I think it’s safe, especially in adults. It hasn’t been shown to have any bad side effects; it’s been shown to be excreted in urine, which shows that the body was absorbing it, but it hasn’t been shown that the absorption caused any negative side effects. A simple precaution would be to not use products containing Oxybenzone on children. Just to be safe, use a non-chemical block like zinc oxide, which provides very good broad spectrum protection.”
What number should we look for in an SPF product? Is 15 really high enough for day-to-day activities?“Because we tend to spend a lot of time in the sun we should use at least a 30. Especially in the summer, you get a fair amount of exposure just being outside in the sun, so 15 isn’t enough. There’s a pretty big increase in protection from 15 to 30, and less between 30 and 45, so I’d recommend using a product with an SPF of at least 30.”
What's the optimal sun protection regimen for skin?“We should put on sunscreen every day before we go outside, like putting on makeup or whatever routine you do in the morning. Because you’re exposed to a lot of radiation throughout the day and the year that you don’t realize you’re being exposed to, it causes a lot of damage to unprotected skin. Applying sunscreen should be part of your daily routine no matter what time of day or season it is.”
Are there any brands that you would specifically recommend?“My skincare line,
AB Skincare, has two sun products – one for adults, one for children. The children’s product, AB baby, has no chemical blockers and utilizes micronized zinc oxide to provide a physical block against radiation. The adult product, AB sun, has a high SPF and a number of antioxidants to further protect your skin. I also like Neutrogena; it’s a good sunscreen with a high SPF.”
“Make sure that you wear your sunscreen! Try to avoid going out in the sun between 10am and 2pm because even if you’re wearing sunscreen you’re going to be exposed to a lot of radiation. If you’re going to spend a lot of time in the sun, make sure that you bring sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and wear a hat to protect the scalp. Reapply if you’re going to be outside for a long period of time. Apply sunscreen half an hour before you go outside, then reapply every several hours. Apply more frequently if you go in the water; no sunscreen is truly waterproof so it’s always good to reapply after going in the water.”
For more information on Dr. Craig Austin, visit
http://www.abskincarestore.com/.
