Practice Safe Sun Protection When Gardening
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Posted by Jamie McIntosh Jun 25, 2009 |
I was so busy fussing over my plants that were withering away in the 90-degree heat that I forgot to protect my skin the other day. One minute I was adding mulch to my rosebushes, the next minute I felt like a rotisserie chicken sizzling in the oven. The sun felt so intense, I looked at my shoulder with alarm, expecting to see a shade of magenta, or angry purple, or anything but a healthy glow. There really isn’t any such thing as a healthy tan, especially for someone one shade shy of alabaster. I love to linger in the sunscreen aisle, even if I have several new bottles at home. I have a sunscreen for every need, the way some women have a different moisturizer for every body zone.
In addition to choosing a sunscreen that smells nice (or not at all), doesn’t wash off, and doesn’t make my face look like an oil slick, I’m concerned about the safety of my sunscreen ingredients. Many sunscreens include ingredients that help the skin absorb them, but some sunscreens are absorbed into the bloodstream, raising the possibility of toxic effects. Furthermore, some sunscreens contain ingredients that mimic hormones or cause allergic reactions. If you aren’t sure about the safety of your sunscreen, check it against the Environmental Working Group’s safety database. They rank the safety of nearly 900 sunscreens on a scale of 0-10, and provide detailed information on the ingredients of top sunscreen brands.