How to Find a "Green" Sunscreen
By: Katrina Irwin
Updated: September 6, 2012
Dr. Elizabeth Arthur at Helendale Dermatology & Medical Spa says don't be fooled by misleading labels.
"I was in one of our grocery stores looking for all natural sunscreens. They say all natural but actually there is nothing all natural about them," Arthur says.
Many sunscreens are filled with chemicals and she says not only could they irritate your skin, they also might not be doing the job they are supposed to do.
Instead she says search for sunscreens with natural ingredients like plant extracts and she says to look for one key ingredient. "The thing you want to look for is something called zinc oxide. that is going to give us the most protection as possible," she says.
Arthur also recommends protective hats and clothing.
"It's a very tight weave so you don't have to put sunscreen or sunblock underneath that. I wear them, my kids wear them and really we just wear sunblock on our faces," she adds.
Of course, she says common sense is the "greenest" method of all, "avoid the sun during those really strong hours between 10 am and 3 pm. Go swimming at 5,6 o'clock at night. Go running really early in the morning, that kind of thing."
They are simple things that anyone can do. "People may not be asking what a green choice is, but they are asking what the best choice is," and Arthur says often times they are the same thing.
