Sunscreen ingredients facts

Information on Sunscreen Ingredients

Before using any type of sunscreen it is important to know the good side and the bad side of all the different types of ingredients contained in sunscreen products. All the people around the world use sunscreen as it is one of the essential cosmetic products and it can be purchased in various forms such as spray, cream, gel and lotion.

When a person gets exposed to the sunlight for prolonged periods of time there is a risk of certain harmful medical conditions such as spots, freckles, sunburns and wrinkles. Excessive sunlight exposure speeds up the process of aging and it may also lead to skin cancer in some cases. Sunscreen absorbs the harmful ultraviolet rays that the sun radiates and protects the skin of all the aforementioned damages.

All sunscreens have certain potency but they may also contain certain harmful ingredients which can be associated with very dangerous health risks that cannot be reversed. These ingredients are active substances and they can be affiliated with unwanted side effects.

Harmful Sunscreen Ingredients

Sunscreen protection utilizes certain active ingredients which come from the carbonyl groups. The most common active ingredients used in sunscreen products include cinnamates, zinc oxide, ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate, titanium oxide, octal methoxyxcinnamate, octocrylene, octyl salicytate, glyceryl aminobenzoate, homomenthyl salicylate, padimate A, para aminobenzoic acid, padimate O, octyl dimethyl and triethanolamine. Only the zinc oxide and the titanium oxide reflect the harmful ultraviolet rays while all the other different types of active ingredients actually absorb the rays.

Benzophenones, avobenzones, dioxybenzones and oxybenzones are the only ingredients capable in barring both UVA and UVB rays, while all the other types of ingredients can only prevent the damage cause by UVA rays. Sunscreens are only protective agains the UVA rays, while sunblocks can deal with UVB rays as well.

Certain sunscreen products may be affiliated with the occurrence of dry skin, skin irritation, acne and eczema. The most harmful ingredients that can be found in some sunscreen products include PABA, titanium oxide, benzophenone, triethanolamine, benzophenone-3, diethanolamine, octy-methoxycinnamate, propyl-parabens, homosalate, ethyl-parabens, padimate-O, butyl – parabens and parsol 1789.

These ingredients can be held responsible for certain medical conditions such as different types of allergic reactions, DNA damage, hormonal imbalance, skin cancer and numerous types of breathing disorders.

Natural Sunscreen Ingredients

The most beneficial natural sunscreen ingredients include black tea gel, spirulina, green tea polyphenols, fresh berries, broccoli extract, lemon juice and Shea butter.