Community Food Co-op

Voted Bellingham's best grocery store. Full-service deli, hot bar, salad bar featuring organic, local, and natural foods. Everyone can shop, anyone can join. Co+op, stronger together.

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        1220 North Forest Street at Holly Street
        Bellingham, Washington
        7 am - 10 pm
        360-734-8158
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        315 Westerly Road at Cordata Parkway
        Bellingham, Washington
        7 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
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        405 Holly Street at Forest Street
        Bellingham, Washington
        7 am - 7 pm
        360-734-8158
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You are here: Home / HEALTH & BEAUTY / Sun Protection That Is Good for You and the Environment

Sun Protection That Is Good for You and the Environment

Play it Safe in the Sun

Sun Protection That Is Good for You and the Environment

People in the Pacific Northwest know how to make the most of our long summer days and ample opportunities for outdoor recreation.

In early July, we enjoy 16 hours of daylight, so it is important to take care of our skin when we’re outside.

The research on skin cancer is definitive. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and UV exposure is the most preventable risk factor.

illustration with sunglasses, a sunburst, and a bottle of sunscreen with text saying hello, summer! gear up for sunshine

If you think the often-overcast weather in the Pacific Northwest is enough to protect you, think again. Even on cloudy days, up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays can reach your skin, so plan ahead for outdoor fun. And, please remember that all skin types require protection from the sun.

Take these preventive measures to reduce your risk of skin cancer.

  1. Seek shade from 10 am to 2 pm when the sun’s rays are most intense.
  2. Cover up! Decrease skin exposure by wearing full-length and long-sleeved clothing, hats, and sunglasses with UV protection when you are outside.
  3. When you can’t be protected by shade or clothing, use sunscreen.

Seems simple enough, but there are several factors worth considering when selecting sunscreen.

Shop Smart

Due to the prevalence of skin cancer, health care providers emphasize the importance of using sunscreen.

Look for labels that identify products as “reef friendly” or compare ingredient lists on sunscreen products with the following information, look up the ratings for specific products in the EWG sunscreen guide, and seek out safe alternatives.

illustration of the sun along the horizon against a blue sky with rolling yellow, orange and brown hills in the foreground. copy says hello, summer, wear your sunscreen

Where you shop can make it simpler to find products that keep your personal health and the health of our environment in mind. At the Community Food Co-op, wellness department staff review the ingredients and manufacturing practices of the health and beauty products sold in our stores. Wellness staff can also share resources for you to look up information about specific ingredients and products, thereby empowering Co-op shoppers to make informed purchasing decisions on personal care items.

Health Considerations

The Environmental Working Group has long been at the forefront of research on the health effects of sunscreen ingredients and debunking the misleading claims made by sunscreen manufacturers. EWG's 2020 Guide to Sunscreens investigated approximately 650 beach and sport sunscreens, and despite improvements made by sunscreen manufactures over the years, the research found that “serious concerns remain.”

It turns out that oxybenzone is not only harmful to coral reefs, but also to human health. “It is an allergen and a hormone disruptor that soaks through skin and is measured in the body of nearly every American,” states the report. Yet the ingredient was found in two-thirds of non-mineral sunscreen products on the market.

When you navigate to the EWG report online, you can look up specific sunscreen products and find an overall rating. Digging deeper into the rating for each product, you’ll find a product summary and a section on ingredient concerns that rates overall hazard, cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and allergies and immunotoxicity (see example in following image). It also discloses which manufacturers use animal testing or share misleading claims.

Speaking of misleading claims, EWG suggests ratings above SPF 50 are misleading and may cause consumers to misuse products. The difference in sun protection between SPF 50 and SPF 100 is negligible, and people using higher SPF products may erroneously feel safer staying out in the sun for too many hours. Also, due to highly concentrated ingredients, higher SPF products may also pose greater health risks.

When applying sunscreen, make certain to apply an even coat on all exposed skin and reapply every two hours and after swimming or sweating.

Environmental Considerations

You may recall that in 2018, Hawaii made national news by passing a bill to ban over-the-counter sales of sunscreen containing ingredients believed to damage coral reefs. The ban won’t go into effect until 2021, but in response to the bill, which is certain to usher in similar legislation in other states and countries, a few companies are already starting to produce sunscreen without the two prohibited ingredients specified in the bill: oxybenzone and octinoxate.

On its website, the National Ocean Service of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shared a much longer list of ingredients that can harm marine life: oxybenzone, benzophenone-1, benzophenone-8, OD-PABA, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, 3-benzylidene camphor, nano-titanium dioxide, and nano-zinc dioxide.

That’s a lot of unpronounceable chemical names to track. By shopping for sunscreen labeled as “reef friendly” you’re more likely to avoid all of the above chemical mishmash.

NOAA lists the following ways that sunscreen chemicals can affect marine life.

  • Green algae: Can impair growth and photosynthesis.
  • Coral: Accumulates in tissues. Can induce bleaching, damage DNA, deform young, and even kill.
  • Mussels: Can induce defects in young.
  • Sea urchins: Can damage immune and reproductive systems, and deform young.
  • Fish: Can decrease fertility and reproduction, and cause female characteristics in male fish.
  • Dolphins: Can accumulate in tissue and be transferred to young.

HEALTH & BEAUTY| SALES| SUSTAINABILITY

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butternut squash with seeds

Ask the Nutritionist: Squash Talk

Dear Nutritionist: I always see different varieties of winter squash at the grocery store. However, I am unsure how to prepare them. Do you have any easy tips on how to cook and season squash?

famers at moon valley organic farm

Local Vendor Profile: Moon Valley Organics

Join the Cordata wellness team on a virtual tour of Moon Valley Organics. The Co-op is proud to partner with this local business whose products promote a healthy way of caring for our bodies and the world.

co-op trucker hat with hiking gear atop a rock on the chanterelle trail

5 Summer Adventure Essentials

Get these 5 summer adventure essentials at the Co-op and hike, bike, paddle, picnic, and otherwise enjoy the great outdoors. Take a picture of your Co-op gear in the wild and share it to our social media.

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HIGH RISK PRIORITY SHOPPING HOUR • 8 am to 9 am daily • both stores
DOWNTOWN STORE & DELI
• map • 360-734-8158 •  8 am – 9 pm; deli service counter closes at 7 pm
CORDATA STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 8 am – 9 pm; deli service counter closes at 7 pm
CO-OP BAKERY CAFÉ and CONNECTIONS BUILDING CLASSROOM • map • 360-734-8158 • temporarily closed

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