Choosing the Right Sunscreen

Image via Wikipedia

Do you use sun protection? Hopefully you do. Do you put it on only when you plan to be outside for an extended amount of time, or do you wear it everyday? I used to wear mine everyday. I currently use a moisturizer with a built-in SPF of 15, but I no longer have a body moisturizer that has an SPF in it. You see, when I switched my lotion for a greener alternative, I couldn’t find one that met my standards that also provides sun protection. The one I am currently using on my face is nowhere near green, but I refuse to throw it out because it’s a waste of product and money. I realize that I need to start using sun protection again, but I also realize that a lot of products which claim to block both UVA and UVB rays don’t do such a great job, or they only block UVB but not UVA.

Searching for the right sunscreen can be a daunting task. Looking for eco- and human-friendly products can be difficult, but add that to finding a sunscreen which will actually protect your skin, and you’ve got quite a challenge. Fortunately, there are available resources online that can help you out. I don’t recall having read anything in either green living book that I own (Snow and Loux), but I know that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has conducted several studies on popular sunscreens and their findings are pretty frightening.

The EWG’s 2010 Sunscreen Guide offers a list of sunscreens to avoid (and why), some of the best sunscreens to buy (and why), as well as sun safety tips. Did you know that, according to the EWG, some sunscreens not only fail in providing protection from UVA rays (which can cause skin cancer), but they also come in sprays or powders that can be accidentally inhaled? Some of the particles in those sprays and powders can cause lung damage and/or enter the bloodstream and potentially cause cancer. Wow.

The Plastic Ocean(s)

I want to take a little time to enlighten you about a problem that, to this day, still has me in shock and horror. I am not sure how many of you have heard of this problem. I’ve mentioned it to a few others and some were aware, others were left in disbelief. I should note that I have attempted to do as much research/digging as I can, but I may not have all the facts. Regardless, I am sure you’ll get the bigger picture.

The Plastic Ocean, otherwise known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, consists of a very large (some say the size of Texas or Alaska, the article I just linked suggests maybe twice the size of the continental United States) pile of plastic debris that is currently floating around in the North Pacific Ocean.

Adult Albatross died from ingesting plastic (source: www.mindfully.org)

Plastic floating around in the ocean causes several major problems. First of all, marine animals can ingest the plastic, become entangled in it, and/or wind up lacerated by it. This can lead to severe injury and death. The photo shows the remains of an adult Albatross who died from ingesting plastic (source) near Hawaii. Secondly, as the plastic degrades it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. Eventually, it will break down to the molecular level, but it never breaks down into pure organic compounds. The breakdown of plastic can release chemicals such as Bisphenol A, PCPs, and derivatives of Polystyrene (#6 Plastic) (source). All of these compounds are toxic to marine life. Keep in mind, that’s the same marine life many people choose to eat. Ironic?

Scientists have been working to determine how quickly the plastic breaks down. Their studies have revealed some plastics break down much quicker than they had originally thought. Also, to this day, scientists are still not entirely sure exactly how much plastic is currently in the Pacific Ocean, because once the plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, it will sink. Some plastic also might remain suspended in the water column (source).

I’ve often wondered exactly where the plastic came from. Obviously, it’s an invention of man, but who is responsible for such a large amount of plastic in the Pacific Ocean? The pollutants seem to come from land and marine-based sources. It sounds as if the plastic was brought to the Pacific by way of rivers, perhaps wind, and most-likely people choosing to dump their trash overboard. Lovely.

Not surprisingly, the Pacific Ocean isn’t the only ocean to sport its own plastic trash pile. Both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans have similar problems (source). As for remediation? NOAA is currently working to remove “ghost nets” from the Pacific Ocean, and some companies have chosen to begin making plastics from bio-degradable sources, such as corn and starch (source). While all of this is great, people need to start recycling more. I think that responsibility falls on the shoulders of consumers, as well as city and state governments to work toward providing recycling facilities for residents and businesses.