May 29: Sunscreen

Last year, my wife was diagnosed with melanoma on her arm. Fortunately, it was caught early and didn't spread to any other area of her body, and she is now cancer-free. Scary, yes. A learning experience, absolutely. My wife is now more conscience of the sun and sun-safe products, that I've learned more about sunscreen than I could have ever imagined I would. Today, my wife taught me that mineral-based sunscreen is what you really want to use for your body. Everything else contains chemicals that, while blocking out the sun, can also be harmful to your body in the long-term. To be more specific, the two ingredients you want to be absolute certain are in your sunscreen are Titanium Dioxide and/or Zinc Oxide, with Zinc Oxide being the most effective and safest ingredient in sunscreen. And, the ingredient you want to avoid is oxybenzone. This information is based solely on my wife's research, but I've found information that supports her theory, such as this article or this one or even this one. In the end, we all have to decide what is best for ourselves and our families when it comes to applying sunscreen. However, for me, the lesson I've learned is the best plan is to simply stay informed and be aware of what you're putting on or in your body.