Aluminum Found in Organic Sunscreens!

Whenever I repurchase a beauty product, I check the ingredients, because many cosmetic brands change formulations slightly from time to time. Some unscrupulous manufacturers may add obnoxious chemicals to their otherwise perfect formulations, so it’s worth checking familiar products from time to time.

Some mainstays, such as mineral-based sunscreens by Dr. Hauschka, have never made me question their safety. Dr. Hauschka creams and lotions, made with biodynamically grown plants, usually contain close to zero ingredients of non-plant origin, with the exception for titanium dioxide in sunscreens. However, a closer inspection revealed aluminium hydroxide found in the ingredient list. Aluminium contained both in Baby Sunblock SPF30 and my regular lotion with SPF15 for daily use.

Aluminium hydroxide is a mineral salt of aluminium found in nature in form of mineral gibbsite, also known as hydrargillite. Aluminium hydroxide forms gels that can be dehydrated with non-aqueous solvents like ethanol to form an aluminium hydroxide powder. Pharmacologically, aluminium hydroxide powder is used as an antacid under names such as Alu-Cap, Aludrox or Pepsamar.

Granted, aluminium hydroxide in sunscreen is not the same as aluminium hydrochloride in antiperspirants. The concentration is obviously much, much smaller. However, considering that brain lesions found in Alzheimer’s disease contain aluminium, there is concern that consumption of excess aluminium compounds may cause or contribute to the development of this and other neurodegenerative diseases (Perl, 2006, Kawahara, 2005). However, this hypothesis is controversial. But do I really want to expose my baby to yet another source of aluminium, especially since it’s rubbed into her skin, sealed there by oils, and heated by the sun? Manual friction and heating greatly increase penetration of all skincare ingredients, that’s why sunscreens must be as pure and safe as possible.

Aluminium hydroxide is considered to be the most stable form of aluminium under normal conditions. However, how exactly normal are searing heat and high humidity? I am not entirely convinced.

That’s why I have double thoughts about using any sunscreens containing aluminium (these include Dr. Hauschka and Lavera brands) on my baby daughter – and myself, too.

Unfortunately, finding a pure, PEG-free sunscreen for a baby is not an easy task. Most “organic” sunscreens I checked contain various PEGs and synthetic emulsifiers (Avalon Organic Botanicals Baby Sunscreen), ethoxylated compounds (Jason Natural Products Earth’s Best Organic Baby Sunblock), and parabens (California Baby Water Resistant, Hypo-Allergenic Sunscreen).

After giving it some thinking, I decided to try an aluminium-free sunscreen called Caribbean Blue Baby SunShield SPF15 (available in UK only, unfortunately, but you can try eBay). Here’s a full ingredient list: microfine zinc oxide in a natural base of botanical extracts of echinacea, ginko and gotu kola, oils of coconut, almond, safflower, sesame and macadamia nut, lecithin, xanthan gum, grapefruit seed extract, essential oils of lavender & peppermint, and Vits. A, C & E.

I cannot say I am ecstatic about using something microfine on baby skin, but unless you are willing to prepare your own sunscreen (and in my next post I will share a super-easy way to make a natural sunblock with zinc oxide) Carribbean Blue and Soleo sunscreens fit my bill just perfectly.