Conventional sunscreens you purchase at a store are not as skin friendly as they may seem. behind the nice packaging, promises of protection, and big corporate endorsements there are sinister ingredients that can cause your own cells to malfunction.
A study done by Valisure found that 78 sunscreen and after-sun care products contained benzene, an industrial chemical known to cause cancer and other potentially serious health risks.
What is Benzne? Here is info straight from the CDC
Benzene is a chemical that is a colorless or light yellow liquid at room temperature. It has a sweet odor and is highly flammable.
Benzene evaporates into the air very quickly. Its vapor is heavier than air and may sink into low-lying areas.
Benzene dissolves only slightly in water and will float on top of water.
Where benzene is found and how it is used
Benzene is formed from both natural processes and human activities.
Natural sources of benzene include volcanoes and forest fires. Benzene is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline, and cigarette smoke.
Benzene is widely used in the United States. It ranks in the top 20 chemicals for production volume.
Some industries use benzene to make other chemicals that are used to make plastics, resins, and nylon and synthetic fibers. Benzene is also used to make some types of lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides.
How benzene works
Benzene works by causing cells not to work correctly. For example, it can cause bone marrow not to produce enough red blood cells, which can lead to anemia. Also, it can damage the immune system by changing blood levels of antibodies and causing the loss of white blood cells.
The seriousness of poisoning caused by benzene depends on the amount, route, and length of time of exposure, as well as the age and preexisting medical condition of the exposed person.
Immediate signs and symptoms of exposure to benzene
People who breathe in high levels of benzene may develop the following signs and symptoms within minutes to several hours:
Drowsiness
Dizziness
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Headaches
Tremors
Confusion
Unconsciousness
Death (at very high levels)
Direct exposure of the eyes, skin, or lungs to benzene can cause tissue injury and irritation.
Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to benzene.
Long-term health effects of exposure to benzene
The major effect of benzene from long-term exposure is on the blood. (Long-term exposure means exposure of a year or more.) Benzene causes harmful effects on the bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading to anemia. It can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect the immune system, increasing the chance for infection.
Some women who breathed high levels of benzene for many months had irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. It is not known whether benzene exposure affects the developing fetus in pregnant women or fertility in men.
Animal studies have shown low birth weights, delayed bone formation, and bone marrow damage when pregnant animals breathed benzene.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that benzene causes cancer in humans. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air can cause leukemia, cancer of the blood-forming organs.
Wow! How Incredible that this contamination is so widespread and that the general public is exposed to a seriously harmful chemical unknowingly. That is why I created an organic & natural alternative for my children, sun armor! sun armor is a plant based sun protection roll on cream that is able to protect and nourish the skin simultaneously. you can feel safer and more confident that when you use sun armor you are enhancing your vitality instead of degrading it.
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Much Love & Good Karma!
-Kitchen Witch Renee