What I found was unnerving. From the foundation I use to the eyebrow powder, there are so many toxic chemicals, not just harmful to myself but also to the environment. These instinctively reaffirmed my decision to educate myself on "clean" products and make the switch. I plan to share a lot of my findings here and wanted to start with one today - let's talk sunscreen!
 Sunscreen is undoubtedly one of the worst products that are not regulated as it's purpose is to protect our skin from harmful UVA/UVB rays but it does much more than that. To begin with, most sunscreen is absorbed into our bloodstream and with chemicals such as oxybenzone or octinoxate - these are chemicals that have been found in human urine, breast milk, and blood confirming that they are quickly absorbed into our skin. The adverse effects of these chemicals include developmental and reproductive toxicity and photoallergic reactions. Oxybenzone is actually a UV absorber meaning it allows your skin to soak in the sun's rays - thus why your skin tans or why you see white dots/freckles all along your skin. Since sunlight is being absorbed into the second layer of your skin you are more likely to develop a topical allergic reaction to sunscreens! (Source)
In addition to these chemicals being harmful to you, they also have adverse effects on our coral reefs. Any products with oxybenzone have actually been banned from Hawaii! They can trigger virus outbreaks within the reefs, cause coral-bleaching, and disrupt the reproductivity of the coral reef system. Beautycounter offers a clean and safe switch - Countersun Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30.