34 | Ronald Fields, M. D. Plastic Surgery 1-800-549-6911 RonFieldsMD.
com
W E L L N E S S
I
t has been ingrained in us since childhood
that the sun causes cancer. But how could
something so predominant in our everyday
lives be so bad for us? Well, it turns out that
maybe it's not. In the meantime, we have been
so focused on avoiding direct contact with the
sun, we may have been lathering our bodies
up with something much worse.
e real danger at hand is the chemical-
laden lotions we've been using to block the
rays. e FDA has approved 17 individual
sunscreen ingredients, nine of which
are endocrine disruptors that can cause abnormal
development in fetuses and growing children. e
chemicals in sunscreen don't just lay on the
surface of the skin, they are absorbed, which
is why they are so hazardous to our
health.
e takeaway is to pay careful
attention to the ingredients in your
sunblock, opting for more natural varieties
containing titanium dioxide and zinc
oxide. e Environmental Working Group,
a nonprofit with the purpose of promoting
a healthy lifestyle, recommends specific
products from Butterbean Organics, e
Honest Company and True Natural. Visit
EWG.org/Sunscreen/ for a helpful guide.
Let's clear up the misconception that the sun
is straight up bad for us. With all the talk of
skin cancer and sunspots, we tend to forget that
those rays provide a basic necessity: Vitamin
D. Lifestyle media brand Mindbodygreen has
compiled a list of 10 additional
benefits from moderate daily
sun exposure (deemed by
multiple sources as 20
minutes of pure sun and skin
contact). This list includes
lowering blood pressure,
building the immune system
and killing bacteria. Visit
Mindbodygreen.com for
more information.
Plot Twist
Sunscreen is
Bad for You?
Butterbean
Organics
Original Healthy
Sunscreen
The Honest Co.
Honest Mineral
Sunscreen SPF 50+
True Natural
Active 30
34 | Ronald Fields, M. D. Plastic Surgery 1-800-549-6911 RonFieldsMD.com
