As parents, we all want to provide our children the best possible start in life. Mothers, you are quite aware of the necessity to eat well and avoid alcohol, smoking and many prescription drugs so that your child will develop to be healthy and intelligent. You are less aware of the importance of nourishing your largest organ - your skin - during pregnancy because much of what you put on your skin can be absorbed through it, resulting in chemical exposure to your unborn child. While carrying your baby, it is therefore of paramount concern that you understand what chemicals you are putting on your body, and the potential adverse effects you may cause your child at this most sensitive developmental time.
Many chemicals present in mass- marketed skin care products can be absorbed through your skin, into your blood, and passed on to your unborn child. Such common chemicals of concern include triethanolamine, propylene glycol, and parabens.
However, you should be particularly concerned about petrochemical-based sunscreen active ingredients because these compounds are present in sunscreens at very high concentrations – up to 40%. They have been shown to act as estrogen analogues and are absorbed through your skin. This means that by using these petrochemical sunscreens, you are taking the risk of exposing your child to feminizing hormones out of the natural developmental context at your child's most sensitive developmental stage. Although KLRC has found no well-controlled scientific studies that have demonstrated a connection between xenoestrogenic hormones and serious prenatal side effects in humans, (largely because such studies are impossible to conduct—ask any developmental biologist) exposure to sunscreen chemicals such as oxybenzone in studies done with fish (a common organism studied to model development in humans) have resulted in male-feminization and disruption of normal reproductive capacities. Other studies have concisely demonstrated petrochemical sunscreen's capacity to bind estrogen receptors and result in unnatural feminizing effects in mammals.
What does this mean for our children? Scientifically proven effects remain unknown but one could reasonably speculate that events ranging from homosexuality to early puberty could be associated with xenoestrogen exposure during development. It’s simply not worth taking a chance when your excellent option of zinc oxide-based sunscreen exists. It is absolutely necessary that you wear sunscreen but avoid those with petrochemical active ingredients, particularly when you are expecting your baby.
Given the demonstrated estrogenic activity of oxybenzone and other petroleum-based sunscreens, common sense would have pregnant mothers avoid these chemicals and use zinc oxide-based sunscreen, such as Kabana's All Natural Green Screen SPF 15, which is also made from edible- grade ingredients. Zinc oxide, in addition to being the most effective UVA and UVB absorber, is the sole sunscreen active that is approved for use on babies - it is also the active ingredient in baby powder and diaper rash cream! Why would you choose to expose your child to anything else?
(Green Screen will double as a superb diaper-rash cream - more information will be delivered to you next month.)
KLRC Next Month: What Mothers-to-Be Need to Know, Part 2: Kabana products that heal stretch marks, soothe dry skin and protect sensitive babies' bottoms from the ravages of diaper rash - Naturally!
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