11/ Our Core Things: How to focus on the good during uncertain times
🎙 How to focus on the good during uncertain times | 🧠 Is sunscreen actually bad for us?
Hi there, welcome to Issue #11
I recently joined a local gym in Hong Kong - because it’s close and reasonably priced. It turns out to be one of the best decisions I made this year. The community made me so welcome and at home on day one. These are people I may not otherwise get to spend time with. But, I love their obsession with training, and their down to earth nature. They convinced me to sign up for the 70.3K Ironman, and so I did.
The very physical nature of this training, plus the feeling of belonging to a community is exactly what I needed. Quite the opposite of what I’ve been exposed to as of late - spirituality books, yoga, photography and content-building videos.
One can learn so much more about life through daily interactions. Only then can we put some of the principles we learn in self-development and spirituality books in practice - and I cannot say that it’s always easy to apply.
Sometimes, we fall into circumstances and meet people whom we never expect to be part of our lives, but they end up teaching us the most. This doesn’t detract from the physical challenge of the training of course. Five months until Ironman!
Overview:
Wellness: How to focus on the good during uncertain times | Another solo episode!
Sustainability: Is sunscreen actually bad for us?
Product: Barnana Organic Banana Bites
Inspiration
“We carry inside us, the wonders we seek outside us.” - Rumi, Persian Poet and Sufi mystic
Wellness: How to focus on the good during uncertain times | Claudia Lee
🎙Listen Time: 12 mins
Whenever we’re facing uncertainty or challenges in our lives, people around us often tell us to ‘focus on the good’. But how do you actually do that, when your life seems to be clouded by that one challenge you’re facing? Having faced some personal challenges the past few months, I understand it’s hard not to focus on the unsmoothness, trust me, expanding your awareness to focus on everything else that’s smooth, that you’re grateful for, is what is really going to change things.
In this episode, I share about my experience applying this axiom into my life, and what I learnt about how to really focus on the good.
Sustainability: Is sunscreen actually bad for us?
👁 Read time: 2 mins
The summer season isn’t complete without the coco-nutty smell of sunscreen. We have all had moments where we slathered sunscreen on our faces, or helped a good friend apply some sunscreen onto their backs.
The primary purpose of sunscreen is to protect us against the ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by the sun. UV radiation can damage our skin cells and increase the chance of skin cancer, sunburn and pre-mature aging.
The sun protection factor (SPF) number you see on a bottle of sunscreen, reflects how well the sunscreen can protect you against UV rays. The higher the SPF number, the better the protection it offers.
How toxins in sunscreen can affect our bodies
Some studies claim sunscreen can have harmful health impacts. This includes carcinogenic1 , and endocrine-disrupting2 effects.
The Science
There are two main types of sunscreen: physical blockers and chemical blockers. Physical blockers (also known as mineral sunscreens, lay on top of our screen and acts as a literal ‘screen’ or ‘shield’, while chemical blockers sink into our skin acts like a ‘sponge’.
Most mineral sunscreens contain zinc oxide and titanium oxide. These are two ingredients labelled as safe and effective by the US’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Zinc oxide sunscreens are gentle on the skin, and often recommended for young children and those with skin sensitivities
Chemical sunscreens contain active ingredients that absorb the sun’s rays, before they are absorbed my our skin. These ingredients are the reason why chemical sunscreen is more controversial to our health; examples of chemical UV filters:
Oxybenzone
Avobenzone
Octisalate
Oxybenzone, (known as BP-3) has historically been the most controversial because it is an endocrine-disruptor, meaning it can potentially affect our bodies’ natural hormone production function. BP-3 is also known to cause allergic reactions. According to a 2021 Harvard Health article, there has been no conclusive evidence that BP-3 is harmful to humans.
Can sunscreen cause cancer?
Another common concern is that sunscreen can cause cancer. The same Harvard Health article, clarifies that the studies were conducted on individuals who travelled to sunnier climates and had constant sun exposure. This sun exposure is what lead to the higher risk of skin cancer; it is not the use of sunscreen that increased cancer risk.
How toxins in sunscreen can affect the environment
While chemical sunscreens have minimal impacts on human health, they do have adverse effect on the environment - especially our oceans. Sunscreen enters the ocean when we swim in the oceans after applying sunscreen, or through our waterways, after we shower.
BP-3 in chemical sunscreen can induce coral bleaching3 . Chemical sunscreens can also affect the growth and photosynthesis in green algae and seaweeds. As algae and seaweed are food sources or habitats for many marine animals - this ends up impacting the entire marine ecosystem.
What can we do?
Use reef-friendly sunscreen: Many sunscreen brands now claim they are ‘reef-friendly’, however some of this is greenwashing. Make sure to check that your sunscreen does not contain the harmful chemicals listed below:
Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Octocrylene, Benzophenone-1, Benzophenone-8, OD-PABA, 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor, 3-Benzylidene camphor, nano-titanium dioxide, nano-zinc oxide
Note: List extracted from National Park Service
Wear long-sleeved clothing with UPF (ultraviolet protection factor)
Product: Barnana - Organic Banana Bites
I have been in love with these banana bites for years. I love that they are easy to carry around, and more so that they are UPCYCLED! Barnana takes unwanted bananas from small organic farms in Latin America, and turns them into these fun-sized, potassium filled snacks!
Product: Original Banana Bites
Browned to perfection, crafted only from chewy organic bananas, these tasty morsels will remind you of real home made banana bread.
Ingredients: Organic Bananas, Organic Banana Powder (Product description from Barnana’s website)
P.S Something I love: Butterflies drink turtle tears for minerals
Carcinogenic: A carcinogen is a substance, organism or agent capable of causing cancer. Carcinogens can be naturally occurring in the environment (i.e UV rays from the sun) or may be human-generated (i.e cigarette smoke)
Endocrine Disruptors (EDC): Chemicals which interfere with the body’s hormones. EDCs can be found in food packaging, cosmetics, toys and carpet.
Coral Bleaching: This occurs when corals expel algae from their tissues, and turn white due to environmental stress.