☀️Best Sun Protection & Sunscreen For Doing Lawn Care

What’s more blissfully All-American than working out in the yard. Easy Saturdays with no deadlines or hassles. The weekend’s subtle payback for braving office politics.

But while the exercise and fresh air are certainly good for you, keeping your skin protected while doing yard work from the sun is smart. And here are 4 sun-safe methods used for thousands of years (yes, even zinc oxide was used by the ancients).

• Seek Shade: Especially during peak hours (10 am – 4 pm), limiting direct unprotected exposure to midday sun to about 30-45 minutes at a time.
• Cover Up: Wear UV-rated sunglasses, wide hats, and long sleeve shirts.
• Eat Healthily: Opt for skin-nourishing foods loaded with antioxidants, and drink plenty of water.
• When out for longer periods, use Zinc Oxide Sunscreen: Choose safe formulations without petrochemicals or other toxic additives.

Why is zinc oxide so important? Read on.

Best ☀️ Sunscreens To Use While In the Yard

Waxhead Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Stick Review

Working outside means sweating in the sun, and that calls for water-resistant sunscreen. Made with 25% non-nano zinc oxide and certified organic, edible-grade, biodegradable ingredients, Waxhead’s 30 SPF Sport Stick, which comes in white and cocoa-tinted versions, stays on to defend and nourish the skin through even the heaviest sweating.

It’s EXTREMELY water-resistant, significantly exceeding the FDA’s maximum 80-minute “very water-resistant” standard. If you forget to reapply when you’re outside, you’ll be glad you’re covered with a product professional landscapers swear by.

Block Island SPF 30 Sunscreen Review

Block Island suncare makes a quality product.

Waxhead Vitamin Enriched Sunscreen Review – Best For Sensitive Skin

This vitamin-enriched sunscreen is the most comprehensive, healthy, eco-friendly UV protection available. It’s uncommonly gentle and can be used daily to nourish and defend sensitive skin from the sun.

Enhanced with non-GMO Vitamins D + E and made with 25% non-nano zinc oxide and 5 other certified organic, edible-grade ingredients, it helps replace the vitamin D not produced naturally when wearing sunscreen.

Benefits of Sunlight

First things first. Sun is actually good for you (imagine that). Because it’s vital to maintain adequate levels of Vitamin D, getting outdoors may be as important to health as a good diet and regular exercise.

It’s estimated more than 40% of Americans are chronically deficient in the critical nutrient (Covid fatalities are heavily linked to this very deficiency). Just 10-30 minutes of midday sun per day allows the body to make enough vitamin D, and packing a few hours together on the weekends’ works, too.

While Vitamin D is available through some foods like fatty fish and fortified milk, many don’t get enough from their mainstream American diets, and sun exposure is the very best way to remedy the shortfall.

But (and it’s a biggie), prolonged unprotected exposure to the UV energy from the sun damages DNA, produces too many free radicals, and set ups long term skin-health issues, including cosmetic problems like wrinkles and leathery skin, and truly serious issues like skin cancer. And the best way to avoid or limit the risk is using top quality zinc oxide protection.

Here’s why.

Why Zinc Oxide is the Most Effective Sunscreen Ingredient

Zinc oxide is the most effective sun protector available, defending well against both UVA rays, which affect deep tissues, as well as all UVB rays, which affect surface tissues. Truly broad-spectrum, the protection throughout all skin layers is more or less equal, meaning that unless the user experiences redness or tightness at the surface, they’re also adequately protected where they CAN’T see.

Most sunscreens, especially those that rely on petrochemical or titanium dioxide as active ingredients, don’t work this way, with ample risk of deep tissue damage even as the surface seems protected. In fact, zinc oxide is the only active sunscreen ingredient that covers the entire UVA/UVB spectrum by itself.

What “Broad Spectrum” In Sunscreen Actually Means

The sun emits energy of various wavelengths that penetrate our Earth’s atmosphere. These include 2 types of ultraviolet light known as UVB rays, which mainly affect the skin’s surface (think B for Burn), and UVA rays, which penetrate to deeper skin layers where their effects can’t be seen directly (think A for Aging, including DNA damage and development of skin cancer).

A broad-spectrum sunscreen technically means it should defend against both UVB and UVA rays. But it’s critical to note that a product’s SPF relates ONLY to UVB rays, those affecting the surface.

It has nothing to do with effectiveness against UVA rays, those which damage deeper tissues. The sun also emits UVC rays, which are absorbed by the ozone layer. (But just in case, zinc oxide covers UVC rays, too.)

Zinc Oxide Effect on Humans

Non-irritating and easy on sensitive skin, zinc oxide has been used in skincare for 1000s of years. A skin protectant widely used in treating various forms of skin irritations, it’s used in diaper creams, calamine lotion, and toothpastes.

Zinc is a critical mineral nutrient that keeps us healthy. It’s also great for use around the eyes, as it won’t cause stinging.

Non-nano zinc oxide is highly stable under most conditions, including when hit with UV rays. It absorbs and reflects UV energy via bandgap absorption (it also reflects and scatters visible light, that’s why it looks white), preventing skin penetration and cell damage.

Zinc oxide holds tight to its electrons when it absorbs UV energy, limiting the creation of free radicals that cause oxidative damage or increase the risk of skin cancer.

What SPF Should You Use While Doing Yard Work?

A sunscreen with an SPF rating of 30-35 is best while doing yard work, and if you’re considering something higher, make sure it doesn’t have one or more of the above issues. And remember, higher SPF products suffer from diminishing returns.

For example, a 30 SPF sunscreen reduces 2 hours of sun exposure to the equivalent of 4 minutes of unprotected sun, while a 50 SPF drops it only to 2.4 minutes, a negligible difference considering the unhealthy additives to achieve the higher rating.

Also, look for the words “Broad Spectrum” — this helps make sure you’re protecting yourself from UVA rays (as well as UVB rays). Make sure it contains NO petrochemicals, and that it either uses only non-nano zinc oxide as an active ingredient (at least 20%, but 25% is best) and that it contains no more than 5% titanium dioxide.

Always read the active and non-active ingredient list to make sure you’re not putting harmful chemicals on your skin, which absorb through the skin and into the bloodstream (where they’re not even filtered by the liver) at a rate between 30-80%.

Avoid sunscreens with bug repellent

Mixing sunscreens and pesticides causes increased skin adsorption of both pesticides and toxic chemicals within the sunscreen. The FDA is studying the safety of such combinations and is considering new labeling requirements. DEET may reduce sunscreen effectiveness.

If bug repellent is a must, avoid using it on the face, since fumes can be inhaled, and the chemicals can damage the eyes. Instead, read your sunscreen labels and look for safe ingredients.

In Closing

You don’t have to accept aging skin as a preordained fact of life. Eating and living well and using the right tools for sun protection will get your skin in shape and keep it that way, no matter what your age or lifestyle. If you’d like more info, just contact the author, who will be happy to talk at length about the truths and untruths surrounding the science and practical realities of sun defense.