Post: #1

I just wanted to help the community with this piece of knowledge, since summer season is coming up at least where I live.

Avoid sunscreen brands that list: oxybenzone as an ingredient.

"Avoid oxybenzone, a synthetic estrogen that penetrates the skin and can disrupt the hormone system. Look for products with zinc oxide, 3% avobenzone or Mexoryl SX. They protect skin from harmful UVA radiation. No insect repellent."
Source: http://www.ewg.org/2015sunscreen/top-sun-safety-tips/

More on how Oxybenzone is bad: http://www.ewg.org/news/testimony-offici...n-chemical

Usually baby brands or kid brands are better since they don't have as much chemicals and are consider safer for the skin.

Post: #2

Parabens is another big one, read this article a while ago http://www.anabolicmen.com/sunscreen should help out those who are looking for more detail about endocrine disruptors in sunscreen.

Post: #3

Good thing I prefer skin cancer. Jokes on you, sunscreen.

Post: #4

If your pasty like myself sometimes you need the baby brands anyway because of the high SPF.

Post: #5

I'm as anti-oxybenzone as they come, and used some zinc oxide sunblock on a recent island hopping tour. I had one of the worst sunburns in recent memory, and was forced to buy a hat and wetsuit to tolerate the next day's tour. Ended up switching to an SPF85 the next day.

If you're pale like me, from now on what I'll do is wear sunblock normally, then eat a ton of cruciferous veggies or megadose DIM later that day.

Post: #6

Fuck I'm in Phoenix, the sun's about to get hardcore real fast, and I just check every fucking sunscreen I have has oxybenzone. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

Post: #7

Sunscreen blocks UV rays from hitting your skin. UV is necessary for the natural production of vitamin D, which in and of itself is necessary for the production of testosterone. Sun exposure in small dosages throughout the day isn't that harmful. Google vitamin D council.

Post: #8

(04-19-2016 02:17 AM)John Michael Kane Wrote:  Sunscreen blocks UV rays from hitting your skin. UV is necessary for the natural production of vitamin D, which in and of itself is necessary for the production of testosterone. Sun exposure in small dosages throughout the day isn't that harmful. Google vitamin D council.

I take vitamin D in pill form and rigorously use sunscreen. Any reason to stop doing that?

Post: #9

When I was on the beach in Egypt I learned that Egyptians think it's gay if guys put on sunscreen. Perhaps this is ancient Egyptian knowledge?

Post: #10

Bought Neutrogena SPF 60 and doesn't have oxybenzone, parabens and other harmful mentioned ingredients.

Post: #11

@walker :

How long are you out in the sun for? Also, what's your skin color/tone?

Post: #12

(04-19-2016 05:39 AM)John Michael Kane Wrote:  @walker :

How long are you out in the sun for? Also, what's your skin color/tone?

If I'm bothering to wear sunscreen, I'm spending anywhere from 30-200 uninterrupted minutes in the sun.

I'm white.

Post: #13

Well, if you're white and limit your time to 15-30 mins per day you shouldn't burn without sunscreen. You can always go for a shorter session in the sun, then use the sun block if you'll be out there for a while. Double check your vitamin D levels next time you get blood work done just to make sure you are getting enough sun/supplementation.

Post: #14

(04-15-2016 07:05 PM)poledaddy Wrote:  Fuck I'm in Phoenix, the sun's about to get hardcore real fast, and I just check every fucking sunscreen I have has oxybenzone. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

My crap ass Target brand sunscreen has it too. I had been applying it whether or not I had outdoor plans. No more.
At least I was not putting it on my balls.

Post: #15

I just checked my bottles-

Banana boat sport spf 50- lots of strange sounding chemicals, but no oxybenzone.

Neutrogena sport face spf 70- same as above, lots in there but not oxybenzone.

Coppertone Sport spf 50- only lists 5 "active" ingredients, one of which is oxybenzone.

Which brands do you use that are good? I don't know if I've ever seen a zinc sun screen bottle.

Fun fact- sun screen was developed by the US military in 1944 for troops in the Philippines.

You ever wonder what people used in the old days? Like the Spanish conquerors, or the British going through Africa? I guess they used mud or covered up with lots of clothing or wore huge hats.

Post: #16

(04-20-2016 02:59 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  I just checked my bottles-

Banana boat sport spf 50- lots of strange sounding chemicals, but no oxybenzone.

Neutrogena sport face spf 70- same as above, lots in there but not oxybenzone.

Coppertone Sport spf 50- only lists 5 "active" ingredients, one of which is oxybenzone.

Which brands do you use that are good? I don't know if I've ever seen a zinc sun screen bottle.

Fun fact- sun screen was developed by the US military in 1944 for troops in the Philippines.

You ever wonder what people used in the old days? Like the Spanish conquerors, or the British going through Africa? I guess they used mud or covered up with lots of clothing or wore huge hats.

Search the Environmental Working Group's database of products to get a list of their harmful ingredients. You can search "sunblock" then order by least harmful. TS posted some links to their website in the original post.

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Post: #17

(04-20-2016 02:59 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  You ever wonder what people used in the old days? Like the Spanish conquerors, or the British going through Africa? I guess they used mud or covered up with lots of clothing or wore huge hats.

They knew their chances of making it out of the jungle alive were much less than 50-50 and didn't give a shit about wrinkly skin or the possibility of skin cancer down the line. You're talking about an era where just the sea voyage from Europe to the Americas had 30% mortality rates, and that's before anyone stepped foot on hostile territory. Life was cheap.

Post: #18

(04-21-2016 01:58 AM)Fast Eddie Wrote:  

(04-20-2016 02:59 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  You ever wonder what people used in the old days? Like the Spanish conquerors, or the British going through Africa? I guess they used mud or covered up with lots of clothing or wore huge hats.

They knew their chances of making it out of the jungle alive were much less than 50-50 and didn't give a shit about wrinkly skin or the possibility of skin cancer down the line. You're talking about an era where just the sea voyage from Europe to the Americas had 30% mortality rates, and that's before anyone stepped foot on hostile territory. Life was cheap.

They developed a base tan on deck and then wore long, loose clothes and hats to protect themselves from the elements.

Post: #19

I ended up buying this SPF50 BabyGenics sunscreen on Amazon after reading this post. http://www.amazon.com/Babyganics-Mineral...B00HYV2F7E. I tried it out for the first time this weekend.

Initial review - the BabyGenics sunscreen is effective - I was outside from like 12-5 in the Phoenix sun on Saturday and didn't get burned at all, and I'm pretty white. The downside is it doesn't seem absorb to well into the skin. Or rather it absorbs, but it doesn't blend in. There were white clouds over my skin, even when lightly applied. It kinda looked like I have ashy skin. And forget putting it on your face if you have stubble.

Joost - does Neutrogena SPF 60 decent/ absorb well?

Frozen-ace - are you sure your BB Sport doesn't have OB? I have 3 bottles of BB Sport at different SPFs, all of them have oxybenzone in the active ingredients...

Post: #20

(04-19-2016 03:29 AM)RIslander Wrote:  When I was on the beach in Egypt I learned that Egyptians think it's gay if guys put on sunscreen. Perhaps this is ancient Egyptian knowledge?

it's more a case of ancient Egyptian skin, they can handle the sun like the Africans they are.

Post: #21

@ poledaddy-

Yea I looked at them again, you are right. I was reading the bottom of the bottle, which only shows the "inactive" ingredients. Active is on the top and lists the offending substances. The copper tone, neutrogena, and banana boat all have it.

Post: #22

I usually wear a long sleeved rashgard while doing water sports. Cuts way down on the sunscreen usage.

Post: #23

I'll add my 2 cents since a forum member asked me:

Here a report by Dr. Mercola who researched the subject extensively:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl...guide.aspx

you can use some of his products or ones that are similar to his:

http://shop.mercola.com/catalog/sunscreen,499,0,0.htm

I would definitely not skimp on that, since it costs only 20$ for a good product. Sunscreen is on the skin for hours or days and interacts with the skin extensively.

Health is: nutrients minus toxins plus exercise

In our world there is no reason to put more toxins into our body. It's better to eat like Hippies, but live like Marines.