Organic Sunscreen

Skin Deep is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products brought to you by researchers at
the Environmental Working Group. Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 40,000 products against 50
definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind.

Reflect's Skin Deep rating has been lowered from 3 to 1 (lower score is better) and the "Active ingredient
UV blocking strength" is rated as strong.

Click on this link to see the Skin Deep page regarding Reflect Outdoor Balm
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/product.php?prod_id=195698

The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) released a new study showing that nearly all Americans
are contaminated with oxybenzone, a widely-used sunscreen ingredient. This chemical so far has been
linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage, as well as low birth weight in baby girls whose
mothers are exposed during pregnancy. Oxybenzone is also a penetration enhancer, a chemical that helps
other chemicals penetrate the skin. So where has the FDA been on this?
Apparently in the back pocket of the sunscreen industry. The Food and Drug Administration, again, has
failed in its duty to protect the public from toxic chemicals like oxybenzone. Caving to the industry lobbyists,
the agency has delayed final sunscreen safety standards for nearly 30 years.
In their online cosmetic safety database, EWG identifies nearly 600 sunscreens sold in the U.S. that contain
oxybenzone, including leading brand names like Hawaiian Tropic, Coppertone, and Banana Boat, and many
facial moisturisers as well. On top of that, they also show many of these so-called sunscreens offer inadequate
protection from the sun. In fact, they found that sunlight also causes oxybenzone to form free radical
chemicals that may be linked to cell damage, which is the exact opposite reason many women mistakenly
use the sunscreen - to protect them from damaging free radicals which lead to premature aging!

Read the full story

A new study by the U.S. Centre for Disease Control (CDC) reveals that 97% of Americans are contaminated with a widely-used sunscreen ingredient called oxybenzone that has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage.

Environmental Working Group identified nearly 600 sunscreens sold in the U.S. that contain oxybenzone, including products by Hawaiian Tropic, Coppertone, and Banana Boat as well as 172 facial moisturisers, 111 lip balms, and 81 different types of lipstick.

EWG research shows that 84% of 910 name-brand sunscreen products offer inadequate protection from the sun, or contain ingredients, like oxybenzone, with significant safety concerns.

Check out the products that contain oxybenzone at http://www.ewg.org/node/26212 and at
http://skindeep.ewg.org/browse.php?containing=704372

Read the full story

By Simon Pitman
Cosmetic Design, 6/25/2007

The Environmental Working Group claims its new study covering more than 700 sunscreen products currently retailing in the US market finds that most of the products fall short of manufacturer's claims or else contain potentially unsafe ingredients.

The study looked at name-brand sunscreens and worked towards a database that lists products, outlining the ones that offer the best combination of both safety and effectiveness.

According to the EWG this criteria takes into account sunscreens products that are deemed to have been formulated with 'safe' ingredients, as well as having the highest rate of protection against sunburn, preventing the effects of longer-term damage to the skin.

The EWG claims that 85 per cent of the products it assessed with SPF ratings of 15 or more actually offered less than satisfactory sunburn protection or contained potentially unsafe ingredients.

The report highlights the fact that the complex formulation of sunscreens can lead to a number of problems that are sometimes overlooked by formulators, one of which is the fact that sunscreen chemicals can break down when exposed to the sun's rays and have to be formulated with stabilizers.

Another potential problem, according to the group, is that some formulations, particularly those using nanotechnology, contain particles that are so small they can penetrate the skin presenting as yet unknown health risks.

The EWG says its research is based on nearly 400 peer-reviewed studies of the 17 sunscreen chemicals approved for use in the US, a study on sunscreen ingredient toxicity, as well as a product-by-product assessment of protection from UVA and UVB radiation.

"Our research shows that some products are far more effective than others, while presenting fewer safety concerns," said Jane Houlihan, vice president for research at EWG.

The results of the combined studies have been compiled on the group's websites, which is aimed at informing consumers about which products are deemed to be safest and which are not.

"EWG has conducted this research because the FDA has failed to do so," Houlihan added.

The group also underlines the fact that in response to this lack of regulation, US citizens have since filed nine class-actions against advertising standards in California, while the Connecticut Attorney General has petitioned the FDA to set standards and six senators have petitioned the FDA - all urging for a review on sunscreen regulations.

After using Reflect for the majority of 2008's freakishly hot summer in Australia I am confident that anyone wanting to find an alternative sunscreen that isn't full of toxic chemicals will be able to use this product and feel very happy about it.

When I look at the new information that has been released, including from the CDC, see above, I can't help but feel that I need to make more people aware of the issues with the ingredients in commercial sunscreens.

I have known for a long time that I didn't like to use commercial sunscreen.
In the beginning this was purely because it made my skin feel awful, and I got some serious rashes and spots! (pimples). Most people would put it down to too much time in the sun, or a heat rash, but now that I have a bit more education up my sleeve I know it was my body screaming out for me to remove the toxic chemicals from my body!

Later, I became aware that several of the ingredients in Australia's very own "Cancer Council Sunscreen" contained dangerous chemicals that can cause all sorts of detrimental effects - including sterility in men! Of course, it MAY not give you cancer but it sure as hell will cause all sorts of other issues.

When I think about all the people, especially on Australian beeches, slapping on their dodgy sunscreen and thinking they're doing the right thing, it makes me feel ill.

This is why I cannot stress enough the importance of avoiding these chemicals at every possible opportunity. We cannot eat them, we cannot drink them, we cannot put them on our skin without having to pay the price.
So, simply put, avoid them at all costs!

The skin is the largest organ in the human body so we should take damn good care of it.

Ask yourself this question: What is your skin eating?

Reflect is a water-free nourishing balm with natural minerals that help reflect damaging ultraviolet radiation. Micro-fine zinc oxide offers protection from harmful rays whilst certified organic olive oil keeps skin supple.

* Natural mineral helps reflect ultraviolet rays
* SPF 15
* Certified Organic Olive Oil to keep the skin supple
* Beta carotene to prevent skin damage caused by the elements
* Vitamin E to protect the skin from premature aging.

Potent antioxidants including natural vitamin E, beta carotene and polygonum extract, protect the skin from premature again and prevent damage caused by the elements. Use any time you are exposed to the elements.

After two years of research and development ONE Group has carefully blended the natural mineral zinc with organic olive oil, beta carotene and vitamin E, to create a safe, effective balm which helps to reflect damaging ultraviolet radiation.

Zinc oxide has been used as the natural blocking agent as it is the only ingredient synthetic chemical or natural to effectively provide comprehensive protection against UVB and both short and long UVA radiation.
Zinc oxide is the closest thing to a total sunblock on the market today. It uniformly covers from 290 to 380 nm, thus protecting against UVB and most of the UVA spectrum. No other sunscreen ingredient provides broader protection.

Unlike many chemical sunscreen agents, zinc oxide is never irritating. In fact, it is recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as a Category I skin protectant, meaning that it is safe for compromised or environmentally challenged skin. Zinc oxide has over a 300-year history of safety, with no known adverse reaction (which is why it is often used to treat babies). Now, in its microfine form, it is ideal for use in sunscreens and daily moisturisers. (Reference www.surgery.org Click here for more information.)

For more information on this product, please see below.

THIS PRODUCT DOES NOT CONTAIN TITANIUM DIOXIDE :)

certified organic olea europaea (olive) fruit oil
zinc oxide (ci 77947)
capric triglyceride Fractionated coconut oil)
certified organic butyrospermum parkii (shea) fruit butter
certified organic unrefined cera alba (beeswax)
avena sativa (oat) kernel flour
polygonoum multiflorum root extract
d-alpha tocopherol (vitamin e)
certified organic rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf CO2 extract
certified organic citrus aurantium amara (bitter orange) fruit extract
aroma (a proprietary blend of organic essential oils) (No artificial 'fragrance' used)
dunaliella salina algae extract