In doing research on natural and organic sunscreens, I found that there was also a difference between physical sunscreen and chemical sunscreen, which I hadn't known before. Apparently physical sunscreen is known as sunblock, and does just that, it blocks harmful UV rays from reaching the skin, scattering and dissipating them. Chemical sunscreen absorbs the harmful UV rays. If you've bought sunscreen at a store before, you've probably noticed that some say sunblock on the label whereas others say sunscreen. I hadn't really noticed the difference until doing some research on natural sunscreens. So which is better, physical sunscreen or chemical sunscreen? If you ask me, neither one is good, but if you had to make the choice, physical sunscreen is definitely better.

Research is showing more and more that chemical sunscreens are very bad, toxic even. The chemicals that absorb the UVA and UVB rays actually produce free radicals as a byproduct of the reaction. For those of you who don't know, free radicals are exactly what causes cancer. It's almost comical in its irony. The very product that's supposed to protect you from cancer and aging actually is being shown to cause it. If you don't believe me, there are many reports out there. Just type in "Dangers of Sunscreen" into Google and you'll find as much information as you need. Beyond that, some sunscreens have been shown to contain chemicals that act on the body as a bio-identical estrogen, which can cause some serious problems, as you can imagine. The system that balances the hormones and other chemicals in the body is called the endocrine system, and it's very delicate and is easy thrown out of homeostasis.

In doing research into natural sunscreen, I read a lot of testimonials from people who didn't like the fact that natural sunscreen was greasy, didn't rub in well, and smelled like medicine. Even though the natural aspect was a big plus, many people didn't like some of the other drawbacks. If that's you, then take a look into physical sunscreen. If you aren't going to go the natural route with sunscreen, at least stay away from the chemical stuff. Go with a sunblock instead of a sunscreen. Sunblocks give you full protection against both UVA and UVB rays. There is a pretty big drawback though. Sunblocks aren't like sunscreens in that they don't absorb into the skin. It rests on top of the skin to protect it. It often looks like war paint or football face paint, so be careful.

Sunlight has been the victim of much harsh criticism in the last few decades. More and more people are supposedly protecting themselves from the sun's light by slathering on sunscreen every time they spend some time outside. But ask yourself this question, why have the rates of skin cancer and other forms of cancer steadily been rising even though people are protecting themselves more than ever? Because of the work of a group of eccentric dermatologists, people are scared to go outside at all without sunscreen, even though it has been shown that the body needs at least 11 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight a day without sunscreen in order to produce a healthy amount of vitamin D. Are you also aware that current research is showing that sunlight even has healing properties, and in a certain range of the spectrum may even promote anti aging? The best thing you can do for your skin and your body is to educate yourself about sunlight. Don't just slather up with sunscreen or even sunblock every time you spend some time outdoors. Sunlight is a very essential factor to life, and helps the human body maintain a proper chemical balance. It's not harmful when absorbed moderately.