Love the Sun, Protect Your Skin
Sunscreen and Whole Body Health Considerations
Summer is fast approaching and the sunshine will be consistently emitting its rays upon us very soon! According to the Skin Cancer Foundation website, “1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.” Since skin is the human body’s largest organ, we need to protect it and keep it healthy to allow us to keep moving comfortably and enjoying our everyday activities and daily functions.
The skin interfaces with the connective tissue, or fascial system, which surrounds every cell, organ, muscle, and joint and holds us all together. As described in my book “MAGIC in Motion,” what we put on the outside of our body gets absorbed by the skin and becomes part of our internal environment. We need to be mindful of when and what we are putting on our skin so that we are protected from the elements when needed, while not adding unnecessary toxins to our body. The "C" in the MAGIC acronym refers to our muscles' ability to "Circulate" Lymphatic fluids. We want to ensure that our body works and moves efficiently from head to toe to pump those waste fluids out of our body.
In an article by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the constituents of a good sunscreen are highlighted. “A good sunscreen should provide equal broad-spectrum protection, against both ultraviolet, or UV, A and B rays. But the SPF value primarily reflects how well a product will protect from UVB rays, the main cause of sunburn and some skin cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma. Sun protection products originally aimed to reduce sunburn. Today, it’s known that some UV rays, such as UVA, don’t cause sunburn but can lead to health harms. UVA rays, which penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays, are associated with skin aging and cancer, such as melanoma.”
To learn more about skin care and sunscreen, I consulted my favorite skin care professional, Nova Zynski, Aesthetician and Owner of “Skin Care by Nova Z” in Brookfield. One of the reasons I love to work with Nova is that part of her treatment process includes a wonderful head, face, neck, upper chest and shoulder lymphatic massage. She is able to really get stagnant fluids moving to de-puff and sculpt your face. Her techniques feel amazing and your skin truly glows! Nova has done a lot of research and is a master of her craft. I asked Nova to share her expertise to help us make sense of how we can best support our body’s health and safety this summer. Here is part of our conversation.
E: Should we be using sunscreen every day?
Nova: Not necessarily on a daily basis. If you're just in and out doing a few things, you need to be getting the sunshine on your skin. Sunglasses are an issue too because people wear sunglasses too much, and to really get your vitamin D, sunlight needs to come through the eyes so the combo is important. Now, if you’re a truck driver and you have the sun on you all day every day that's different. Also, if you're sitting at your desk by a window in front of a computer all day every day, yes you should have sunscreen on, but you also want one that's going to protect you from the blue light.
E: As an Aesthetician, what are the signs of sun damage that you see the most frequently with your clients?
Nova: I see dark spots (hyperpigmentation) and light or white spots (hypopigmentation). Excess sun exposure accelerates the natural, gradual process of breaking down of the elastin bands in the skin. Skin becomes more lax faster, and overtime the skin becomes super thin. Also, some people’s skin will get really tough overtime because it's trying to compensate for what's been done to it. Their skin will have a lot more lines, and is sometimes really wrinkly looking, but really tough at the same time. It's not soft, supple skin anymore.
E: What are some of the things we should be looking for in a good sunscreen?
Nova: Eminence, the Organic Skin Care line that I use with my clients, has a Radiance Protection SPF, which is also a moisturizer, and has botanicals that are good for the skin. This contains niacin-amide which has B complexes that help reduce pore size, help retain moisture levels, and build the moisture barrier. Zinc Oxide is another good ingredient to look for in sunscreen. There are many products available now that are not as thick and chalky as they used to be, and won’t leave the white film on your skin.
E: Do you have any specific cautions regarding sunscreen?
Nova: You want to use a “clean” product that doesn’t contain toxic ingredients. We want to steer clear of hormone disrupting chemicals. We also need to be careful of “nano-technologies” where the molecular sizes of certain ingredients are extremely small, and they can pass through the blood brain barrier. Sometimes certain chemicals in sunscreens can actually cause dark spots and do the opposite of protecting your skin. Also, even if a product is labeled “organic,” it could still have a few ingredients that you really don't want in there. It’s a misconception people have that if it says organic, that everything in there is good, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it is.
I did a little extra research on some of the specific toxic chemicals to avoid in sunscreens. According to an article by Thais Alibadi, MD, “here are 6 questionable common chemical sunscreen ingredients:
Oxybenzone, known as benzophenone-3, a hormone disruptor
Avobenzone, also a benzophenone
Homosalate, another hormone disruptor
Octinoxate, known as octyl methoxycinnamate, a hormone and endocrine disruptor
Octocrylene
Octisalate, which stabilizes avobenzone”
Be sure to read your labels and avoid any of the above ingredients and lean toward using the products that are hydrating and safe for your skin, while protecting your body from excessive sun exposure. Enjoy your summer, but protect your skin and body from harmful rays and unnecessary chemicals.
To learn more about Nova Zynski and her Skin Care Services, check out her website:
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