How to Have No Fear of Skin Cancer
We need the sun for vitamin D so I encourage you to go outside, enjoy the sunshine and appreciate nature whenever you can. But sun worshipping can go too far. It’s important to make sure we’re not overdoing it, so protection against too much sun is important for balance. Age doesn’t matter. Lifelong health is a result of taking good care of our bodies — and having fun. 😉 So let’s explore how to have no fear of skin cancer.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. In their 2019 Guide to Sunscreens, EWG cautions that safe sunning begins with other protections and sunscreen should be your last resort.
More Important Than Sunscreen:
- Wear clothes such as t-shirts and hats,
- Wear sunglasses,
- Go outdoors when the sun is lower such as early morning and late afternoon,
- Keep in the shade,
- Checking the UV index,
- Watch out not to get burned because by then it’s too late.
While genetics do affect your risk, your own personal history — number of past sunburns, having 50 or more moles, etc. — also matter. So no matter your family history, no one is immune to skin cancer.
Ask yourself:
- Have you had more than five sunburns?
- Have you ever been to a tanning salon?
- Do you usually skip sunscreen?
- Do you have tan lines?
A yes to any of these means you’re at an increased risk.
If you notice a funky spot on your skin, glamour.com has photos that show exactly what different types of skin cancer look like in “How to Know Whether That Mole Might Be Skin Cancer.” If it looks suspicious, get thee to a dermatologist! Better yet, schedule an annual skin check to stay safe.
Glamour.com also promotes the ABCDE-U test to help you remember what to look for:
- A – Asymmetry: one half of the mole is a different shape than the other.
- B – Border: the outside edges are blurred or jagged rather than even.
- C – Color: The mole is several shades of black, brown or red.
- D – Diameter: melanomas are often the size of a pencil eraser or larger.
- E – Evolving: a mole that has changed in size, shape or color is the most common warning sign of skin cancer.
- U – Ugly Duckling: it doesn’t look like any of your other moles.
3 of the Best Sunscreens:
The best sunscreens contain titanium dioxide or zinc dioxide, the two common ingredients generally recognized as safe and effective. PABA and trolamine salicylate are now recognized as unsafe based on the available scientific literature. They are rarely, if ever, used in sunscreen anymore.
The latest tests by Reviews.com reinforce the three top-rated sunscreens that they chose last year. I am not being compensated for this post, but with your good health in mind I am sharing with you which sunscreens are the best for various purposes. These top three sunscreens have been chosen for:
- Best Coverage
- Best for Sensitive Skin
- Best for Face
As long as we take care of our skin and our health, age doesn’t matter. It’s nice to know which products are the best, and to check reviews before buying. I especially love this review because the winning products are safe for sensitive skin, and contain natural and organic ingredients.
Best Coverage:
Alba Botanica fragrance-free mineral sunscreen is the winner for Best Coverage at Reviews.com. It also was the Readers’ Choice Award Winner in the Allure beauty awards in 2017.
In their research of the best sunscreens, EWG backed up this first place choice by Reviews.com. EWG concluded “overall this product scores well and is a top choice for sun protection.”
Review.com found that Alba Botanica fragrance-free sunscreen’s moisturizing ingredients made it silky to apply and quick to absorb. They pointed out that there is no scent to irritate your nose or sensitive skin. And it was one of the best sunscreens at protecting against UV radiation.
According to Alba Botanica, this product contains broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection against sunburn, skin cancer and premature signs of aging. Made with mineral sunscreen ingredients, it is water resistant up to 80 minutes after it is applied. It is a lightweight lotion containing Sunflower Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil and Aloe Vera which soften and moisturize skin while Grape Seed Oil and Vitamin E provide powerful antioxidant protection. It is free of oxybenzone, octinoxate, PABA, nano-sunscreens and Vitamin A. Alba Botanica sunscreens are free of active ingredients that may harm coral reefs. Ultimately, it is good for sensitive skin.
Best for Sensitive Skin:
Best for Face:
MDSolarSciences Mineral Crème Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen is the most expensive of the lot here, with a 1.7-ounce tube priced around $30, so it’s a bit much to use on your entire body. But the small tube is perfect for exclusive use on the face and coverage on the go. The 17 percent zinc oxide, two percent titanium dioxide formula was found to be thin without being runny, and it absorbed well, leaving zero white residue in its wake. While it didn’t perform as highly in the reviewers’ sun-sensitive paper test as some other finalists, it scored points for its gentle and light feel.
MDSolarSciences is a lightweight, “barely there” broad spectrum sunscreen that provides maximum protection and leaves a matte finish. It’s silky smooth and blends quickly. A pea-sized amount was found to be enough to cover the entire face. Best of all, it’s hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic (meaning good for you!)
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