Safety of Sunscreen
Safety of Sunscreen
The sun’s rays have powered life on our planet since its creation, and have made life possible for all living things. The sun is one of the most important elements of the universe, but in recent years has only been condemned for some of its harmful effects on humans. Lately, all that is heard about the sun anymore is how can be harmful and how protection from overexposure is needed. Many people are scared of dangerous overexposure effects such as sunburn, premature aging of the skin, eye damage, and skin cancer. These fears cause many to try anything to avoid the sun including lathering themselves up with sunscreen. What many people do not realize is that as they slather on sun lotion for protection, they could actually be harming their skin. Overuse of sunscreen and sun block, which contain many potentially dangerous chemicals, could be even more harmful than exposure to the sun’s rays.
Sunlight is produced through nuclear reactions in the sun’s core. Originally born as energetic gamma rays, after billions of collisions with matter, this radiation reaches the surface and escapes into space (Mitalas). The sun radiates light to the earth, and part of that light consists of ultraviolet (UV) rays. When these rays reach the skin, they can cause tanning or burning. There are three types of UV rays: UVA rays, which have the least amount of energy per photon, UVB rays, and UVC rays, which have the most amount of energy per photon. UVA rays pass through the ozone layer and make up the majority of sun exposure. UVB rays are mostly absorbed by the ozone layer, but can still pass through to the skin. UVC rays are the most dangerous, but these are blocked by the ozone layer and do not reach the earth.
Human skin contains natural protection against UV exposure. UV rays react with the melanin in skin. The presence of melanin is skin’s first defense against the sun because it absorbs UV rays before they do any damage. The lighter a person’s natural
The sun’s rays have powered life on our planet since its creation, and have made life possible for all living things. The sun is one of the most important elements of the universe, but in recent years has only been condemned for some of its harmful effects on humans. Lately, all that is heard about the sun anymore is how can be harmful and how protection from overexposure is needed. Many people are scared of dangerous overexposure effects such as sunburn, premature aging of the skin, eye damage, and skin cancer. These fears cause many to try anything to avoid the sun including lathering themselves up with sunscreen. What many people do not realize is that as they slather on sun lotion for protection, they could actually be harming their skin. Overuse of sunscreen and sun block, which contain many potentially dangerous chemicals, could be even more harmful than exposure to the sun’s rays.
Sunlight is produced through nuclear reactions in the sun’s core. Originally born as energetic gamma rays, after billions of collisions with matter, this radiation reaches the surface and escapes into space (Mitalas). The sun radiates light to the earth, and part of that light consists of ultraviolet (UV) rays. When these rays reach the skin, they can cause tanning or burning. There are three types of UV rays: UVA rays, which have the least amount of energy per photon, UVB rays, and UVC rays, which have the most amount of energy per photon. UVA rays pass through the ozone layer and make up the majority of sun exposure. UVB rays are mostly absorbed by the ozone layer, but can still pass through to the skin. UVC rays are the most dangerous, but these are blocked by the ozone layer and do not reach the earth.
Human skin contains natural protection against UV exposure. UV rays react with the melanin in skin. The presence of melanin is skin’s first defense against the sun because it absorbs UV rays before they do any damage. The lighter a person’s natural