Screen out wrinkles safely

We hear it over and over again, but it bears repeating: Always apply sunscreen to your face, neck, and other exposed skin before you go outdoors. But when you do, keep these two guidelines in mind:

• To achieve optimal protection, choose a product with an SPF that’s between 30 and 50.
• Always buy sunscreen labeled “full-spectrum,” which means it’s been proven to protect against both UVB rays, which burn your skin and  increase your risk for skin cancer, and UVA rays, which damage collagen and accelerate the aging process.

When you’re picking out sunscreen in the store, take a look at the label. The jury is still out on how damaging chemical-based sunscreens really are, but with scads of highly effective natural products on the market, why take chances? These three culprits have been shown to be especially damaging to your health and your looks. (And the higher the SPF is, the more chemicals a product contains.)

1. Oxybenzone. This is an active ingredient in most commercial sunscreens. It can cause skin irritation and allergies, and (worse) it reacts with UV rays to create cell-damaging free radicals, which are linked to hormone disruption and increased cancer risk.

2. Parabens. These are synthetic preservatives that disrupt hormones and may stimulate cancerous tumors. In small quantities, they pose little or no risk. The problem is that they’re used in so many beauty and personal-care products, including deodorants, shampoos, shaving creams, makeup, and sunscreens, that you can give yourself a dangerous dose without knowing it. Fortunately, they’re easy to spot because they generally appear last on ingredient lists. Look for methylparaben, propylparaben, and/or butylparaben.

3. Retinyl palmitate (a.k.a. vitamin A). When exposed to UV rays, it breaks down into toxic free radicals, causing premature aging and raising cancer risk.