Are you getting ready for summer, sun and the beach? Recent studies show that not only are the sun rays harmful to the skin, but many brands of sunscreen are also harmful. I discovered some interesting facts about The sunscreen marketplace, The Aging Process and what it has to do with Sun Care Products, The dangers involved in using most brands of Sun Care Products, and what to look for in a product that is effective, safe, healthy and nourishing to the skin.

Four billion dollars a year are spent on sunscreens. However,in America people are not adequately protecting themselves. Sixty percent of Americans actively seek a tan, less than 30 percent use sunscreen while on vacation, and less than 20 percent use sunscreen year round. But times are changing. Americans are becoming more aware of the dangers of exposure to the sun and its links to Cancer and premature aging. But are most people getting protection from the sun with their sun screen products, and are they safe? The Environmental Working Group claims that more than 84 percent of sun screen lotions with high SPF levels actually failed to protect sunbathers against all harmful rays, they quickly lose their effectiveness, or their chemical ingredients do more harm than good.

The sun accounts for ninety percent of the visual signs of aging. There are three forms of identifiable rays. They are UVA, UVB and UBC. UVC rays are prevented from reaching earth by the ozone layer. That is one reason why the ozone layer is so important. UVB rays are medium rays. They penetrate the ozone layer and bounce off the surface of the skin. They burn the skin and cause skin cancer. UVA rays are the longest rays. They also penetrate the ozone layer. Then they penetrate the surface of the skin and destroy collagen and elastin underneath the skin's surface. These are the rays that cause wrinkles, sagging and aging.

It is important when looking for sun screen products,to choose those that provide protection against UVA and UVB rays.You need to protect the surface of the skin and underneath the skin. Keeping the collagen and elastin intact will keep the surface of the skin safe from burning rays and Cancer causing rays.

A big problem with the sun care industry is that in their attempt to provide higher SPF levels, they have had to increase the chemical compounds in sunscreen to allow prolonged safe exposure to the suns rays. A team of experts from the University of Southern California has found that sunscreen can do more harm than good once it soaks into the skin, where it actually promotes the harmful compounds it is meant to protect against.

The research team found that three commonly ultraviolet (UV) filters -- octomethoxycinnamate, benzophenone 3 and octocrylene eventually soak into the deeper layers of the skin after their application leaving the top skin layers vunerable to sun damage. UV rays absorbed by the skin can generate harmful compounds called reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can cause Skin Cancer and premature aging.

The researchers found that once the filters in sun screen soaked into the lower layer of the skin, the filters react with UV light to create more damaging ROS. Many of the top name brands fall into this catagory. Below are some samples of toxic sunscreen available.

Natural skin care products effective at providing protection from the harmful rays of the sun and able to improve the quality of the skin will include the following ingredients:

Anti-aging elements to protect the top of the skin as well as the collagen and elastin underneath the skin

Vitamin C and Magnesium which promotes healthy development of collagen and elastin

Peptides which are protein strands that enhance the skins own ability to build collagen and elastin.

Healthy sun screen products are necessary if you want to avoid premature aging, damaging your skin, or getting Cancer through toxin absortion or from the sun, The greatest benefit of all is that you will look great for years to come.