As BikerMentalists we live to be outdoors. All of our activities involve wind in our hair, mud on our boots and the sun on our skin. Unfortunately the sun has some pretty damaging affects on our health. Sunblock and sunscreen has been touted as a protectant from the sun for the last few decades, new studies are showing it might be just the opposite. According to The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel, melanoma rates have sky-rocketed with the greatest increase occurring after the introduction of sunscreens at the end of the 1970’s.

Some known issues with sunscreens are the chemicals used in most brands that act as endocrine disruptors (act as hormones). For a sunscreen to work it needs to get under the skin so it can absorb the photons in the suns rays, this means all the chemicals in the product have an easier way into your body. After a few hours in sunlight the chemicals break down so the product needs to be reapplied, increasing the dose of chemicals soaking into your body.

Sunblocks are a different story. If they are made with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide they are highly effective in protecting against UVA and UVB rays while not requiring the chemicals known to sunscreen. People typically choose sunscreen for its easy absorption, getting rid of the white streaks that sunblock is known for. When you weigh the outcomes, sunblock is a mineral based product that does not use chemicals that pollute our skin. Even though you may have a few white streaks on your skin, it is much better than the alternative. To decrease your chances of getting skin cancer while you are out enjoying the great outdoors don’t forget your sunblock!