Natural Sun Care

The sun: giver of light, warmth and life. Also giver of sunburn, ultraviolet (UV) damage, wrinkles and sun spots. As consumers become increasingly aware of how the sun affects their skin, the demand for products with some form of sun protection continues to rise.

While there is a demand for more products with sun protection factor (SPF), the trend seems to be leaning toward formulas with ingredients that naturally provide SPF. "Many people are turning to natural personal care to avoid the potential health risks posed by synthetic ingredients, especially those that are absorbed deep into the skin, acting at a cellular level, like sunscreen," said Celeste Lutrario, vice president of research and development, Burt’s Bees.

Linda Miles, vice president, derma e, agreed, adding: "Mainstream sun care products are harmful because of the chemicals, in some cases, nanoparticles, used to create the SPF and their potential carcinogenic risks."

Mainstream sunscreens that contain UV blockers contain "a significant percentage of chemical compounds," explained Henry Smith, Ph.D., vice president of operations, St. Paul Brands. "For example, benzophenone and similar compounds are some of the more powerful free radical generators known to man. When activated by UV light, they produce free radicals. The free radicals then initiate a reaction which can increase skin damage and also increase the risk of skin cancer." Synthetic sunscreens can also contain parabens, chemical preservatives that have possible carcinogenic effects.

Sunscreens have also been found to have an effect on the environment. In a recent study from Italy, researchers found that more than 60 percent of the world’s coral reefs were suffering from coral bleaching, a visible sign of damage from the death of the colored symbiotic algae that provides nutrients to the coral (Danovaro, R. et al. Environ Health Perspectives. 2008; epub ahead of print). It is suspected the bleaching process is caused by four commonly used sunscreen ingredients that routinely wash off in water: a paraben preservative and several types of UV filters. These chemicals kill algae by stimulating latent viruses found in almost all classes of coral-inhabiting algae. The number of viruses that were exposed to the ingredients increased by as much as 15 percent; all sunscreen brands, sun-protection factors and concentrations tested bleached the coral.

Providing alternatives to conventional sun care formulas made with synthetic chemicals, some natural personal care companies are using different ingredients with naturally occurring SPF that are skin- and environment-friendly. Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, the oxidized versions of naturally occurring metals, titanium and zinc, are two popular natural SPF ingredients. Incidentally, these ingredients are the "only two natural ingredients FDA recognizes as sun protectants," Lutrario said. They are not absorbed into the skin; they act as reflective sun blocks when applied, and are ideal for those with sensitive skin. "[These ingredients] provide a physical barrier to the sun, do not irritate skin and protect the skin against both UVA and UVB rays," Smith explained. A study from SunSmart Inc., New York, found microfine zinc oxide is effective and safe as a sun block, and "provides broad-spectrum UV protection, including protection from long-wavelength UVA" (Mitchnick, MA et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1999;40.1:85-90).

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