Re: BLOG COMMENTS RE: Sunscreens - Safest & Most Effective

I wanted to add what I found out about UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays do not cause sunburn but effect the DNA of cells which can cause skin cancer. UVB rays can cause tanning or sunburn and can cause skin cancer as well..but at least you have some warning with you skin changing color. Scientists are also concerned about UVC rays which no one has researched much yet. They don't know if sunscreen protects against it or not. They also don't know if it can cause skin cancer or not.

BLOG COMMENTS RE: Sunscreens - Safest & Most Effective

Wow, it is hard to find sunscreens out there without oxybenezone! I grabbed a sunscreen off the shelf at New Leaf (the Sun brand), assuming that they had screened them, and when I read the label later found oxybenezone as an ingredient. Fortunately they let me return it, even without a receipt, but I did have to raise a bit of a stink. Then I found that almost all of their sunscreens contain that chemical, and others. They do carry one sunscreen, the Burn Out Clean and Clear, that is purely zinc oxide as an active ingredient, but they were sold out. Of course everything at Safeway and Longs has oxybenezone. I finally found a couple sunscreens without it at Oasis and got two, the All Terrain TerraSport (which is only SPF 15, unfortunately) and one other I can't find right now. So far I'm pretty happy.

Last year I got a tube of California Baby, which I thought was pretty greasy and hard to use, but when I spread a small amount first on my fingers that seemed to work better, and boy did it last! I used that tube all summer and I'm almost through the Burn Out after a few weeks. But maybe I wasn't being as diligent with the applications.

some questions:

UVA rays: have they increased of late, due to ozone depletion?

Shea butter: a natural SPF of 15. Does olive oil also provide a natural SPF?

Nutritional angle: I've read that eating carrots helps children to develop healthy melanin. Other foods that may help with sun exposure?

Alternating sun with shade: skin-applied sunblocks are necessary should shade become difficult to obtain, but how about simply self-regulating with access to shade?

Re: comments
I have heard that Shea Butter can boost sun protection. I am happy to know it has SPF as high as 15. I am seriously considering using that as a daily cream on my face. I did not know about carrots increasing melanin...that sounds like it could be helpful. I don't know about olive oil being protective of UVA or UVB rays but I know that it contains Vit E which is an antioxidant which may help heal the skin. From what mainstream nutrition has taught me, however, it is more likely to work better as an antioxidant if you consume it.
What I did not mention in the blog is other ways to protect ourselves from the sun. I think that limiting our exposure and going in the shade or indoors often helps. Going in the shade will protect more than being in direct sun, but even in the shade the UV rays bounce of sand, dirt, snow etc and can reach us. Wearing protective clothing, hats, and glasses is helpful....but it can make us hot.
From what I have read, all UV rays are more intense now that we have less ozone. The hole in the ozone is mostly over the southern hemisphere of the planet and spans a large part of Austrailia. Sadly, they are more screwed than we are right now.

Re: Shea Butter question
Does anyone have a good reference about Shea Butter and its sun protective qualities? I am curious to find out if it protects against UVA and UVB.