I've been on my environmental kick for a while now, not only adhering to the "Reduce, Re-use, Recycle" credo, but also trying to be more "natural" and less "chemical' whenever possible. Most of the time, the choices are easy and clear--ask my children how second-nature it is in our house to avoid "trans fats" and scan labels for the level of fiber in a given food product! (actually, you might not want to get them started, they can do a really good rant on Mommy the Food Nazi.) But after years of researching "green living" and reading health magazines and absorbing lists of advice (dividing the world neatly for you into what is "safe" and what is "evil and poisonous"), I have run into a problem. You see, my brain has reached Information Overload, which means that while I can generally retain the names of things I'm supposed to shun in my foods and skin-care products, I can no longer remember exactly WHY they're dangerous.
This came into play--believe it or not--when planning our recent vacation to the Caribbean (pause for a moment for me to dream yearningly of being back on a tropical beach...okay, I'm ready to continue). This summer I finally switched completely over to non-chemical sunscreens, containing zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. The only reason it took me this long was that almost ALL sunscreens you find on the shelves of your average drugstore or supermarket are comprised of the common chemical blockers, oxybenzone being the Biggie. Not only did I have to scour specialty "organic stores" for options, I also had to test out a boatload of them to find something that felt acceptable (not too greasy, not too sticky, not too cakey) on our skin...the boys and I are very picky about that. So, I finally found a couple that we liked, and prepared to pack them for our Cruise to Southern Islands. However, Husband expressed concerns about using the new formulas on our pasty-white Irish/Scandanavian children, since the SPF was "only" 27. I have found this to be true of natural sunscreens that use the physical blockers rather than the chemicals; for some reason SPF 30 is about as high as they go (rather than 50...or 70...or "you won't burn even if you visit the surface of the Sun" that oxybenzone seems to provide). I assured him that it would be fine if we just diligently reapplied every 2 hours or so...and crossed my fingers.
And you know, we WERE fine. Even in mid-August, under the Bahamian sun, cavorting in-and-out of the ocean, none of us got burned. Whew! Thank you, Mother Nature, for the use of your minerals! But here comes the punchline: one day while resting in our cabin, we turned on the TV and happened on a short presentation by Bill Nye the Science Guy. He was discussing "things we bring to the beach that harm the environment" such as plastic bags that end up in the ocean and strangle the sea life, and polyurethane surfboards that poison the water when they decompose, and...chemical sunscreens. According to him (and he MUST know what he's talking about, he's got "science" in his name, right?), oxybenzone acts as a hormonal disruptor in living creatures. When it washes off of us, either down the shower drain or directly into the ocean, it harms the animals. In fact, they recently discovered some fish that, when tested in a lab, had evidence of oxybenzone in their tissues...and had changed gender from male to female. Let's all stop here for a moment to go: EWWWWW!!
So that was an extremely timely and relevant refresher course for me on "why I choose to rub on the white lotion rather than the nasty oxy-stuff". I do of course realize we're a lot bigger than fish, and it would probably take years and years and layers and layers of sunblock to have an effect on our bodies...but why even take that chance? I intend to enjoy the last days of Summer safely, my friends!*
*The postscript is: Derek was watching with me, and seemed to find the whole story equally funny and disturbing; when we got home, he told it to several friends and their parents immediately--whether for the shock value or the PSA, I don't really know, but I'm proud of my little Green Crusader nonetheless!
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