While sunscreen is critical to keeping your tattoo bright,
production of a sunscreen product goes against the principles of Stay True
Organics to some extent because there are no sunscreens or sunblocks (even
mineral versions) that are created entirely without chemical ingredients or
processing. Every FDA-approved sun protection ingredient is comprised of,
or has been processed with a chemical. So I have no intention of making
one at this time. For someone who has no tattoos, it may be possible to
protect your skin without the use of sunscreens by avoiding sun exposure,
wearing protective clothes, and using high quality botanicals on the skin.
However, tattooed skin is different from natural skin, and
sun protection is an important factor in extending the life of your
tattoo. Tattoo ink is an inert substance. It cannot adapt to the
sun or utilize the sun’s energy the way our skin often can. So tattoos
require a physical block to prevent fading.
In fact, I strongly recommend using a physical sunblock that
includes zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (for your health and the preservation
of your tattoo) rather than a chemical sunscreen that contains any of the
following:
Benzophenones (dixoybenzone,
oxybenzone)
PABA and PABA esters (ethyl
dihydroxy propyl PAB, glyceryl PABA, p-aminobenzoic acid, padimate-O or
octyl dimethyl PABA)
The ingredients listed above penetrate the skin easily and
are considered potentially harmful to your health.They generate free radicals to a much higher
degree than zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Chemical sunscreens merely
create a chemical reaction in the skin that converts the sun’s rays into
imperceptible heat to prevent tanning and burning rather than physically
shielding the skin from the sun’s rays like clothes and mineral sunblocks
do.Therefore, in my opinion, chemical
sunscreens may be less effective at preventing fading over time in addition to
being more of a health risk.
Again, I’d recommend protecting your tattoos with a zinc
oxide or titanium dioxide sunblock of at least SPF 30. I strongly
encourage you to find one that otherwise includes totally natural and
preferably organic ingredients. Visit the link below to see an excellent
resource for choosing a sunscreen. It is a list of hundreds of sun
products rated for safety and effectiveness. On a scale of 0-10, 0 is the
best score and indicates that the corresponding product is among the safest and
purest:
