With the announcement in late August that the FDA has proposed a new 4-star rating on sunscreens, many companies are going to be affected. Most people don’t realize that sunscreens can actually be harmful.

Have you ever wondered why there are signs that say NO SUNSCREENS ALLOWED at specific beaches where you can swim with dolphins?

According to Linda Chaé, Formulator, President of Chaé® Organics, Inc, "The numerous chemicals in sunscreens, even diluted in ocean water, are considered harmful. Can you imagine the impact most sunscreens have when applied directly to human skin?"

It has taken Chaé over 12 years to make a high quality sunscreen that feels good on the skin and is odor free. "My research began in 1992, after reading a study, Could Sunscreens Increase Melanoma Risk? published in the American Journal of Public Health. With the growing rate of skin cancer worldwide, we needed to take a closer look at our use of chemically based sunscreens," commented Ms. Chaé.

The use of sunscreen chemicals is increasing the incidence of skin cancer. Melanoma has more than doubled in the last 25 years; directly proportional to sunscreen sales. Users stay in the sun longer without getting a burn, which would have been nature’s warning signal. Some harmful ingredients that you should look to avoid in your sunscreens are:

• Benzophenone (listed on the PAN Pesticides Database as a toxic pesticide
• Avobenzone, octylmethoxycinnamate, and octocrylene (free radical generators that penetrate through the epidermis)
• Methoxycinnamate (has been implicated in causing cancer)
• PABA (may play a role in cellular DNA damage and is a skin sensitizer)

Most of these chemicals easily penetrate into and through the epidermis. They are designed to absorb ultraviolet radiation energy. Since they cannot destroy this energy, the radiation has to convert the light energy into chemical energy, which is usually released as free radicals. Free radicals then react with other molecules and produce damage to the fats, proteins, and DNA of the cells – the types of damage that produce skin ageing and the development of cancer.

A recent study by a team of scientists at the University of California Riverside concluded high quality sunscreens that include UVA filters are most effective at preventing future signs of ageing when used liberally and often on children and young adults exposed to the sun.

Ninety five percent of the visible signs of aging are associated with UV exposure. Ninety percent of sun exposure in a life-time is usually obtained before a person is 18 years old. Chaé suggests that children should be encouraged to wear hats, protective clothing and regularly apply chemical free sunscreens with UVA protection.

UVA stands for the longer sun rays (340nm-400nm) found to cause cancer and accelerate aging. UVB rays are shorter (290-320nm) and are called the "burning rays". SPF testing only rates the length of time an average person can be in the sun before burning. For instance an SPF 15 will protect you from burning 15 times longer than if you were wearing no sunscreen.. Thus if you would typically burn in 20 minutes, you would have 5 hours of protection before burning with an SPF 15.

Linda Chaé is concerned about various forms of cancer, especially since part of her client base is women recovering from breast cancer and chemotherapy. "Consumers are confused when medical and scientific reports indicate that the more people use sunscreen, the higher the incidence of skin cancer. This is a serious problem we are helping solve. I believe we all need the Vitamin D from daily sun exposure and we also need products that are proven to keep us safe," commented Chaé. "So when you don’t get Vitamin D from sunshine because you are wearing a sunscreen, it is important to have Vitamin D supplemented in the product."

"I survived cancer myself, and I knew there was a better way to make sunscreens. I wanted to go where no other company has gone before, using the most effective UVA/UVB protection; eliminating all AgeAccelerating chemicals; and combining natural, organic and wild-crafted ingredients to create sun protection with anti-aging benefits" declared Chaé.

The Company’s goal was to develop the most advanced formula on the market and eliminate chemical sunscreens and their potential problems:

• ‘Free radical generators’ which can lead to melanoma
• ‘Estrogenic activity’ which impact hormones in men and women
• Synthetic chemicals’ penetrating skin and stored in the body’s fat cells

An effective and safe sun block can be made with titanium dioxide. It is a naturally mined mineral that is effective across the full UV spectrum, from the short-wavelength UVB (290-320nm) to the longest UVA (340nm-400nm). Also, titanium dioxide protects the cellular DNA and prevents accelerated aging.

Chaé Organics, Inc is known as an innovator in the industry, and an advocate for people’s health. They believe every consumer has the right to know and really understand what is in the products that they use daily. Chaé continues to lead the way to healthier products as they eliminate harmful toxins and create safe alternatives for consumers.