Hey there-hope y’all are having a great week so far. June 25 is significant because it marks 81 years since the last time the US passed a major federal law regulating the cosmetics industry. Contrary to popular belief, the FDA doesn’t have the authority to protect you from harmful ingredients in the makeup, skincare, and body products you use daily! For reference, the US only restricts 30 potentially harmful ingredients from personal care products. On the other hand, Canada bans 600, and the European Union bans over 1400. Hopefully the US will catch up with other countries in the not too distant future. But for now, I am choosing to be proactive about my health by being mindful of what I put on my body. One way I am doing this is by using mineral sunscreen instead of chemical sunscreen. So, today I’m sharing a bit more about why I switched to mineral sunscreen. Since I just got back from a long weekend at the beach, I figured this post is timely!
Mineral Sunscreen vs. Traditional Chemical Sunscreen
A traditional chemical sunscreen contains chemical filters like oxybenzone and octinozate. On the other hand, a mineral sunscreen uses physical blockers like zinc oxide. A physical blocker literally sits on the surface of the skin and deflects the sun’s harmful UV rays away from your body.
So that’s the basic difference in composition between a mineral sunscreen and traditional chemical sunscreen. However, there’s more differences between mineral sunscreen and chemical sunscreen than just their physical and chemical properties. The following differences are reasons why I switched to mineral sunscreen.
Mineral Sunscreens Are Free from Questionable Ingredients
The common chemical filters in traditional sunscreens, such as oxybenzone, are potential irritants and hormone disrupters. So, I personally haven’t had any issues with traditional sunscreen irritating my skin other than when it runs into my eye. However, I still want to avoid these chemical UV filters because they are potential hormone disrupters. Furthermore, recent studies show that chemicals from traditional sunscreen absorb into your bloodstream within a day. The FDA has even said that more data is needed to determine the effects of these chemicals on the body.
By switching to a mineral sunscreen, I am able to protect my skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays without exposing myself to potential irritants and endocrine disrupters. Furthermore, my mineral sunscreen contains non-nano zinc oxide, which means it has low potential to enter the bloodstream.
For more info about ingredient safety in sunscreens, check out this very helpful article from the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
Mineral Sunscreens Are Better for the Environment
Another advantage of switching to mineral sunscreens is that they are better for the environment. In full transparency, I am not super “granola” or a “green freak” or whatever you want to call hard-core environmentalists. However, if I know that that I have an option for a product that is more environmentally friendly and still performs its intended purpose, I feel good about using and promoting it.
Oxybenzone and octinozate, filters found in chemical sunscreens, are known to contribute to the collapse of our coral reefs. In fact, Hawaii has actually banned chemical sunscreens. Thus, it feels good to know that the mineral sunscreen I use is reef-safe.
What Mineral Sunscreen do I Use?
Now, I’m going to share which mineral sunscreen products I use. All of my sunscreen products are Beautycounter. In full transparency, I am a Beautycounter consultant, so I do earn a commission if anyone purchases Beautycounter products through me. However, I genuinely love the products and wholeheartedly support Beautycounter’s mission to get safer products in the hands of everyone, which you can read more about here.
Beautycounter has four different SPF 30 products in their Countersun line. I use the mineral sunscreen stick for my face, and the mineral sunscreen lotion for my body. In addition, I like the mineral sunscreen mist for touch-ups. All three of these products made their way to the beach with me this past weekend.
Beautycounter also has a tinted mineral sunscreen spray, but I don’t personally use that one because I worry about it staining my bathing suit and towel. Some people really love it though!
High Quality Mineral Sunscreen
I will say that I am aware that Beautycounter sunscreen is pricier than what you buy at the drugstore. However, it is worth the extra cost. First of all, Beautycounter only uses the highest quality non-nano since oxide particles in their sunscreens, to limit the potential of absorption into your bloodstream. In addition, I tried another mineral sunscreen body lotion from Target before Beautycounter. Although it was significantly less expensive, it was extremely runny and unpleasant to apply. It was also really stubborn to wash off, even with soap and water. The Beautycounter sunscreen lotion applies easily and washes over much more easily, both from your hands after application, and your body after you’ve come home from the pool or beach for the day.
I hope y’all found this post about why I switched to mineral sunscreen interesting and informative. You can shop all Beautycounter sun protection products here. Please feel free to reach out to me via email if you have any questions about mineral sunscreen or safer beauty products in general. I promise that I will not pressure you to buy products or join my team. Rather, I desire to be a resource to educate and empower others to be proactive about their health regarding what they put on their skin!
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-xoxo Liz
