For eco-conscious travelers looking to be one with nature, choosing the perfect sunscreen may be about more than preventing sunburn.

Fortunately, more natural alternatives exist. In some cases, certain sunscreen ingredients may even boost skincare without affecting marine life.

For example, oxybenzone is also a chemical known to be both harmful to humans and ecosystems.

Sunscreen and Marine Life

Certain sunscreens contain microscopic metals, toxic chemicals, and other ingredients that may be harmful to surrounding ecosystems, according to a study published in The Journal of Environmental Science.

The study notes that products containing nanomaterials, 100,000 times smaller than a human hair, may affect marine life in unpredictable ways. For example, nano-zinc, nano-copper, and other nano-metals may be most harmful to small animals like crustaceans, worms, fish, and algae, the study suggests.

The eco-conscious shopper may also want to avoid benzophenones and plastic microbeads, which are now banned in the United States.

Ingredients That Can Damage the Environment

• benzophenones
• camphor derivatives
• cinnamates
• zinc (clear or nano)
• cylcopentasiloxane
• cyclomethicone
• methylisothiazolinone
• sodium lauryl sulfate
• octyl methoxycinnamate
• oxtinoxate
• ​oxybenzone
• parabens
  • propyparaben
  • benzylparaben
  • methylparaben
  • butylparaben
• plastic microbeads

Sunscreen and Human Health

Aside from the aquatic environment, certain products can also harm human life.

Ingredients with Health Concerns

Harmful chemical ingredients found in sunscreens include:

• diazolidinyl urea
• DMDM hydantoin
• homosalate
• laureth sulfate
• methylisothiazolinone
• octyl methoxycinnamate
• oxybenzone
• oxtinoxate
• parabens
  • propyparaben
  • benzylparaben
  • methylparaben
  • butylparaben
• quaternium-15
• retinyl palitate
• sodium lauryl
• nano particles

Endocrine Blockers

Many FDA-approved chemical ingredients in sunscreen are considered “endocrine blockers,” which can affect the body’s production of hormones, according board certified doctor and Dr. Oz Show advisor Arthur W. Perry.

Perry wrote in a 2013 blog post that these chemicals seep into the skin rather than sitting on top of it to block UVA/UVB rays.

As the chemicals move into the bloodstream, they are unable to be detoxified and digested by the liver and can be traceable in blood or urine for the next two days.

Natural Ingredients

Recently, in a yearlong study by experts at Eckerd College, products were tested to determine if they passed as “eco-friendly.”

The Florida-based study looked at how ingredients could potentially affect sensitive coral larvae and freshwater fish.

Many natural products include natural, antioxidant-rich ingredients like wakame seaweed, green tea extracts, and olive leaf extracts.

• Green Tea

  Green tea is known to reduce premature aging caused by the sun.

• Olive Leaf

  Olive leaf is known for its immune-boosting strengths.

Frizzy, fried, and coarse strands from all that fun in the sun are not a great start to autumn, and neither is blemished, dried out, or wrinkled skin.

Fortunately, there are plant-based oils that can repair summer’s damage and help us reclaim glowing skin and luxurious locks.

Oils for Your Face

It seems counterintuitive, but applying a small amount of oil to your face can give you a well-hydrated glow—without the shine and stickiness that come from using lotions.

If you’ve never used oils on your skin before, you’ll be happy to know there are many with soothing and hydrating properties.

• Argan Oil

  Argan oil is an excellent hydrator that helps fight free-radical damage and acne. It can help minimize lines, soften skin, and encourage a healthy glow.

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

  Extra-virgin olive oil is another great choice for the face and body. Nourishing, stimulating, and softening, it contains antioxidants and healthy fats. It can even help reduce sun damage.

• Rosehip Seed Oil

  Rosehip seed oil can be harder to find, but it too is an excellent hydrator, boasting a luxurious, silky feel.

• Shea Oil

  A byproduct of shea butter production, shea oil has many of the same fatty acids as shea butter (capric, caprylic, lauric, stearic, palmitic, oleic, and linoleic).

  Easily absorbed into the skin, shea oil can fight inflammation and help create a protective barrier that locks in skin moisture.

  Due to its high content of vitamins A and E, the oil has been used to help heal scars, burns, blemishes, stretch marks, dermatitis, and wrinkles.

Oils for Hair Care

Oils are a great choice when it comes to repairing fried and frizzled strands.

Look for pure, organic plant oils labeled “pure cold-pressed” or “pure expeller-pressed.”

• Almond Oil

  Almond oil is a light and odorless oil rich in vitamins and protein.

• Coconut Oil

  Coconut oil has long been used in folk medicine as a hair conditioner and moisturizing oil.

• Jojoba Oil

  Jojoba oil is a good choice for the scalp and hair, since it is very emollient and contains nutrients that benefit the skin.

• Sesame Oil

  Sesame oil is an antioxidant-rich oil that works as both a moisturizer and a conditioner.

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

  Extra-virgin olive oil adds a non-greasy sheen to your locks, reach for extra-virgin olive oil.

Oil Treatment for Hair

One of the best ways to nourish and repair hair is with an oil treatment. They’re easy to do; you don’t even need to shampoo first.

1. When you’ve decided on an oil, mix 2 tablespoons of it in a bottle with a flip-up spout or in a cup. If you wish, add 15 to 30 drops of essential oil. For a hot oil treatment, place the container in hot water for a few minutes before applying. This warms the oil and enhances the hair’s ability to absorb it. (You can also apply the oil unheated.)
2. Next, put some oil on your fingertips and rub it between your hands. Starting at the top front of the hairline, massage your scalp with small circular strokes, working back toward the crown. Add more oil as needed.
3. Repeat this process from the temple area back to the lower crown and through the nape of the neck. Be gentle and thorough; massage the entire scalp (not just the top of the hair) for at least three minutes.
4. Add more oil to your palms. Work the oil between your hands and massage it into the rest of your hair with a gentle, stroking motion.
5. Cover your hair with a plastic shower cap or recycled plastic bag. To maximize the moisturizing effect, wrap a hot, damp towel around the plastic. Leave for 20 to 30 minutes, and then rinse the oil out with shampoo. Follow with conditioner. Any leftover oil makes a great moisturizer for your skin.

Your skin telegraphs to the world the state of your overall health and well ­being. This is why skin “warrants attention, care, and nourishment—just like the rest of our bodies,” points out Alicia Cool, MD, a New York­ based dermatologist specializing in skin cancer prevention. “With the use of many small interventions, you can keep your skin looking bright and healthy for all of your years.”

Avoid UV Rays to Delay Your Skin's Age

The number one culprit in skin aging is the sun. The problem is due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, which speeds up the aging process. “Remember, UV rays can penetrate on cloudy, rainy days and even through window glass,” Dr. Cool explains, which is why she advises all of her patients, regardless of skin type or location, to wear sunscreen year-­round.

When it comes to protecting your skin from sun damage, “early intervention is key,” agrees Adam Friedman, MD, director of dermatologic research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

It’s never too early (or too late) in life to diligently use sunscreen and other sun protectors. Unfortunately, for most of us, sun exposure before the age of 18 lays the groundwork for accelerated skin aging and even skin cancer.

Your Skin's Defense Team

As summer’s sun beckons you outdoors, ensure that your skin is well nourished and protected from any sun damage that comes with the inevitable sun exposure.

Protect Your Skin with Antioxidants

UV rays spur the creation of free radicals within the body. Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, are part of your body’s internal defense against sun­related skin damage and can be supplemented in pill form or as a cream applied topically. The ability of green tea polyphenols to decrease signs of skin aging when taken orally or used topically in creams has impressed Dr. Cool.

One antioxidant you may be less familiar with comes from a fern found in Central and South America called Polypodium leucotomos. The antioxidant extract of the fern protects skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation. Taking Polypodium leucotomos gives your skin the equivalent SPF of about 5 to 8, says Dr. Friedman. So while sunscreens are still needed, the extract provides a good protective base. Think of it as a combination approach to healthy skin, he says: “Use sunscreen (a broad­spectrum SPF 30 or higher), take systemic antioxidants, wear protective clothing, and seek shade during the sun’s peak hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.”

The tricky thing about adding antioxidants to a topical sunscreen product, explains Dr. Friedman, lies in the fact that antioxidants quickly break down when exposed to air and light. This means that antioxidants applied to the top layer of the skin—where a sunscreen needs to be to do its job—can’t actually get inside of skin cells, which is where they would provide the most protection. Some specially designed sunscreens allow antioxidants to be absorbed into the skin while the sunscreen remains on the outer layer, blocking sun damage.

Safeguard Your Skin with Collagen

Free radical fighting is not the whole story when it comes to antioxidants. Another way that many of these antioxidant vitamins keep your skin looking its best is by preserving collagen, the protein in skin that gives a supple and firm youthful look. Sun exposure tends to “age” collagen in the skin. In addition to vitamins C and E, other collagen ­preservers include vitamins A and D, notes Dr. Cool.

For some people, it might be too late for prevention of sun­ related skin damage. If your skin is already damaged, consider vitamin A derivatives to help rebuild the deeper support of the skin they stimulate collagen and elastin production, says Dr. Friedman.

Supplements to Boost Collagen

Other ways to boost collagen include taking the supplement hyaluronic acid, which traps water in the skin to “plump” it up, ceramides (as pills or a cream) to retain moisture and smooth your skin’s appearance, and even supplements of collagen, which have been shown to improve the skin’s texture and resilience.

The mineral silicon might also help. When women with sun­damaged skin took either a placebo or a 10­milligram supplement of silicon (in a form called choline ­stabilized orthosilicic acid) every day for five months, those in the silicon group saw significant improvements to skin roughness and elasticity.

Saffron to Soothe Damage

Researchers have delved into saffron’s use for the treatment of sun damage.

A 2022 laboratory study determined that the application of a saffron-rich formula inhibited the generation of wrinkles, helped produce collagen, and had other positive effects on the skin. The authors concluded that saffron “should be regarded as a potential therapeutic agent for preventing photoaging.”

A 2021 study noted saffron’s antioxidant, antimicrobial, depigmenting, and skin-repairing properties. “Therefore, it is used for formulating various lotions, creams, and cosmetics emulsions, namely sunscreens, moisturizers, and anti-spot and anti-aging products.”