Sunscreen: To Slather or Not to Slather...

by Theolinda Barry, ND, MA
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

That is the question on everyone’s mind when the summer rolls around. Should you use sunscreen? Which one? How high an SPF? Are they safe and do the benefits outweigh the potential hazards of the chemicals in them? Are there natural sunscreens and do they work as well? What else can be done to prevent sun damage to the skin and potential skin cancer?

While these are all very good questions, many of them are still up for debate or are personal choices based on personal opinions. The intent of this article is to shed a little sunlight, as it were, (sans UVA & UVB rays, of course) on the subject, and hopefully help you make more informed choices for yourself and your family.

There are many variables to take into consideration when determining if you may be at risk for developing skin cancer - or any cancer (or any disease!) for that matter, and you may want to check out the American Cancer Society’s website at www.cancer.org to find out more about the different types of skin cancers and your potential risks such as family history, ethnicity, age, UV exposure, etc. While some things are obviously beyond our control, there are many habits that can be implemented quite simply into a daily routine which may help reduce the risks of skin cancer.

Stacking the odds in your favor:

• Sunscreen: Now that I’m through blathering on, let’s talk about slathering on...the sunscreen! While some of my esteemed colleagues opt for going rogue and not wearing any sunscreen at all, instead contending that the sun, in all its glory, is perfectly harmless and natural, I tend to err on the side of caution because too much of just about anything can be potentially harmful, even if it’s “natural” - (let’s face it, cow manure is natural too, but I’m not gonna eat it!). When it comes to sunscreens, I do prefer one that has fewer toxic chemicals. I do tend to side with my rogue colleagues in believing that there are cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting chemicals in many of the sunscreens on the market. And it makes sense to me, too, that the higher SPF you go the more risk there is due to more chemicals, without the added benefit of more protection. So I usually opt for a more natural brand with a lower SPF (anywhere from 15 to 20). (And, yes, I will occasionally even go without any sunscreen in order to absorb the vitamin D-enhancing benefits that they can block out...did I hear a collective GASP from the readers?). To find out more about sunscreens, check out the “Environmental Working Group” sunscreen guide at their website: www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen. (Their site is also a wealth of information on chemicals in other skincare products as well - well worth a read!)

• Topical applications: How many of us have sunburned without even realizing we had been in the sun for very long? Or have forgotten to reapply the sunscreen throughout the day and suffered for it that night? When that happens, (and try not to let that happen!), before you grab the “Noxzema” (flashback from the 70’s anyone?), consider that there are some natural products that can help to soothe the skin and possibly even protect against damage from the sun. Some tidbits I found from various sources cited the benefits of such products as Aloe Vera, which not only has a wonderful cooling effect, but also is purported to have anti-tumor properties; then there’s vitamin E which may inhibit and decrease the growth of cancer; and Calendula oil (or cream), one of my favorite general skin herbs, used for wound healing, inflammation, skin ulcerations, and minor burns. Studies are still pending as to whether Calendula has anti-cancer effects. Also, some people may experience a skin rash with its use, so test a small patch of skin before slathering it on! These may not be “cure-alls” for skin damage or skin cancer, but you may get some healing benefits from the use of one or more of them if you do burn.

• Diet: It always comes back to this - you are what you eat! And if you eat healthy foods, you will (usually) be healthy. The skin is the largest organ of elimination, and it often reflects changes going on in the internal environment. So eating a healthy diet can only help to work in your favor by decreasing the burden placed on the body by things such as physical exposure to the sun’s damaging rays, and chemical exposure from things such as makeup, skincare products, and sunscreens. There is no dispute about the protective effects of eating a diet high in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, along with good oils such as those found in fish, flax, nuts, and olives, for example. And there is much evidence of the ill effects that come from eating processed foods, high sugar foods, and trans fats (i.e. found in margarine, and some types of crackers). So diet could potentially play a major role in the prevention of cancer, including skin cancer. (Oh! And don’t forget to drink plenty of pure water - it’s a great cleanser, inside and out!)

So, while we can’t control our family history or ethnicity, we can control things like diet and lifestyle factors. We can try to stack the odds in our favor by protecting ourselves from over exposure to the sun by wearing cover-ups like hats and shirts, and over exposure to harsh chemicals by using more natural sunscreens. And we can’t forget to protect ourselves on the inside by eating a clean, healthy diet. Go out and enjoy the benefits of the sun’s warmth and light, but be smart, eat well, and don’t overdo!