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Ocean Blue
New Member
 
Joined: 20 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
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Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:30 pm  |
I'm not sure whether I should be posting this in the DIY forums, but if no-one knows here, I might cross-post.
Basically, I stumbled across an EDS thread (which the forums won't let me post), which made me question whether we are using natural zinc oxide sunscreens in a pro-aging manner:
I’m not a DIYer, so a lot of it went over my head, but basically it seems that acids like green tea and l-ascorbic acid must be combined with chelators when used in formulations with metal ions, or the formulation becomes pro-oxidant and thus pro-aging.
Natural companies strive to keep products free of weird-sounding chemicals and I have yet to see a natural zinc oxide sunscreen which includes chelators like disodium EDTA.
My current sunscreen, Devita, which is popular amongst EDSers, is a pretty typical example of this. It contains metal ions i.e. uncoated zinc and copper gluconate and acids i.e. green tea and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (converted to l-ascorbic acid in the skin). Even if the formulations vary i.e. iron oxides for tinting, many people also use green tea, l-ascorbic acid serum e.t.c. under uncoated zinc oxide sunscreens.
I'm going to email Devita and ask them if any of their ingredients act as natural chelators. If not, I'm wondering if I should switch to a semi-natural brand, which uses zinc oxide in conjunction with artificial chelators. |
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Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:36 pm |
Can you add another reply:
- I am too mentally exhausted by the choices to even think about this, and figure that any kind of sunscreen is better than nothing! |
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No longer answering PM's due to numerous weird messages. |
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Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:38 pm |
| Put me down as OTHER too! |
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Esthetician working at a Med-spa. Love the Clarisonic! |
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Ocean Blue
New Member
Joined: 20 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
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Fri Nov 23, 2012 6:43 pm |
I tried to add it but it wouldn't let me; apparently newbies can't be trusted with the privilege of four line polls! 
Chalk me up for confused and a bit exhausted as well. I just bought a load of niacinamide products, just to read that some people think that niacinamide is "silently" pro-aging in the long run, despite short term benefits. Gah!
At this rate I seem to be spending money so that I can look like a prune in the not so distant future... |
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Sat Nov 24, 2012 3:52 pm |
I voted other as well. 
I think the best way to get around this is to use chelated serums and moisturizers, and then put an anhydrous zinc oxide sunscreen over it. That way, even IF there are ions generated from uncoated zo, all the green tea/vitamin C/other goodies will already be absorbed into your skin when this happens.
Besides, I prefer to make my own sunscreens, and I don't know how to balance it's ph in water. (I prefer to use uncoated zinc oxide for mine.) |
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Ocean Blue
New Member
Joined: 20 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
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Sun Nov 25, 2012 7:37 am |
Thanks for the great reply Chlorophyll, you've certainly given me more to think about. 
"Other" does certainly seem to be the most popular option here. 
Could some clever DIYer please kindly explain what an anhydrous zinc sunscreen is?
Also, do you think that we could just mix some disodium EDTA into shop bought sunscreen, or is it more complicated than that?
Does anyone have a list of common chelators? |
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Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:38 am |
| Anhydrous means it contains absolutely no water. (I don't think the term has any special significance when being used to describe a sunscreen, lol.) |
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Ocean Blue
New Member
Joined: 20 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
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Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:44 am |
Thanks for answering!
I guess it's confusing to me because sunscreens aren't really made with water, but they do get made with watery ingredients like aloe vera gel.
I seem to be using the word confusing a lot these days.
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Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:10 pm |
| It is pretty confusing. I read the problem with Devita is that it is micronized and doesn't really scatter UV effectively. |
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Ocean Blue
New Member
Joined: 20 Nov 2012
Posts: 5
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Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:23 pm |
I thought micronized zinc was supposed to be a good filter.
Maybe you're confusing micronized zinc with the controversies about nano zinc?
Could you post a link? |
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Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:33 am |
| I chose the last time because we have so many sunscreens out there promising this and that and not delivering what it says it will do. I am confused too, mind you! But using any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen at all.... |
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