Oxybenzone in Skin Care Products

Oxybenzone is a common chemical in skin care products such as sunscreen and lotions. Specifically, oxybenzone is prevalent in chemical based sunscreens because it protects the skin from ultraviolet light. Whereas oxybenzone is effective at protecting the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays, it greatly harms our environment. Specifically, oxybenzone damages coral reefs: an essential part of ocean ecosystems.

Oxybenzone acts as a hormone disruptor for endocrine function in coral reefs which means that it can alter coral DNA. Oxybenzone also disrupts coral growth and leads to more bleaching. Bleaching is a phenomenon that occurs when the corals release their zooxanthellae into the water. Zooxanthellae give corals their color and provide their main source of energy. When the coral is under stress, it releases the zooxanthellae, therefore losing its color. The coral can be placed under stress because of increasing ocean temperatures and water pollution.

This is where the oxybenzone comes in. When we wear sunscreen that has oxybenzone in it and go to the beach, the sunscreen washes off in the water and pollutes the sea. In addition, oxybenzone can end up in the ocean when wastewater drains from our homes. We need to stop using sunscreen products with oxybenzone because our coral reefs are important for our environment. They provide a habitat for many ocean creatures and are therefore important for healthy ocean ecosystems. They also protect shores from erosion and are used for medication development.

The best way to prevent oxybenzone from getting into our oceans and harming coral reefs is to stop using products with oxybenzone. When shopping for a sunscreen or a lip balm with spf, make sure to check the ingredients for oxybenzone. Many skin care and sunscreen brands have started moving away from products with oxybenzone because of its damaging effects on the environment. Brands such as Sun Bum and Krave Beauty have oxybenzone free skin care products. Often, mineral sunscreens will not contain oxybenzone as well, so switching to a mineral sunscreen instead of a chemical sunscreen can help lessen your environmental impact.

• Saloni Jain

Sources

https://banish.com/blogs/article/skincare-ingredients-that-harm-the-environment#:~:text=Oxybenzone%20and%20octinoxate%20are%20two,they%20act%20as%20endocrine%20disruptors.

https://owlcation.com/stem/Coral-Bleaching-and-Oxybenzone-Choose-Your-Sunscreen-Carefully#:~:text=Researchers%20have%20found%20evidence%20that,with%20sunscreen%20on%20our%20skin.&text=These%20life%20forms%20include%20corals%20and%20the%20creatures%20that%20depend%20on%20them.

Plant Based Milk

There are tons of plant based milks in grocery stores now, so it can be kind of intimidating to pick one with so many options available. Some plant based milks have more protein, whereas others have more vitamins and minerals. There is also the question of sustainability as some plant based milks are not as sustainable for the planet as others. It can be hard to pick one with so many factors to consider, but hopefully, this blog post makes things easier.

First, let's talk about cow milk. Recently, many people have been transitioning to plant based milks because of ethical or health concerns. Some people also drink plant based milk because of dietary restrictions such as lactose intolerance or dairy allergies. In terms of nutrition, one cup of full fat cow milk contains 149 calories, 7.7 grams of protein, 11.7 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat, b12, B2, vitamin D, and calcium. Different types of cow milk such as 2%, 1% or skim may have different amounts of calories and grams of fat which is something to note.

Next, the most well known plant milk- almond milk. Almond Milk is made of almonds and water, so it can be a little thinner than cow milk. One cup of almond milk contains 39 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, 24% of the daily value of calcium, and 110% of the daily value of calcium. Almond milk is lower in calories and fat than cow milk, but it is also lower in protein. Almond milk would be a good plant based alternative for people looking to cut down on calories and fat, but would not be a great choice for people who are trying to eat more protein. There is also a sustainability concern with almond milk as almonds require huge amounts of water to grow which is not sustainable. Almond milk comes in a variety of flavors and can be made at home, which could make it a convenient option for some.

Another plant based milk that is gaining in popularity is oat milk. Oat milk is made of blended oats and water. One cup of oat milk by the brand Oatly has 120 calories, 3 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, 50% of the daily value of b12, 27% of the daily value of calcium, 18% of the daily value of Vitamin D, 18% of the daily value of Vitamin A, and 46% of the daily value of riboflavin. Oat milk has less protein than some other plant milk options, but it has many more vitamins and minerals. Oat milk can also help lower blood cholesterol and is good for bone health. There are also a variety of options available with oat milk creamer and different flavors of oat milk.

Another popular plant based milk is soy milk. Soy milk has 7 grams of protein per cup which is comparable to the amount of protein cow milk has. One cup of soy milk has 80 calories and is normally fortified with calcium and potassium. Soy milk normally does not have as many vitamins as oat milk but it has much more protein. Soy milk would be a good cow milk replacement for people who are concerned about their protein intake. There are also many flavors of soy milk available.

Overall there are many plant based milk options with nutrition values similar to cows milk but with less environmental impact. Even if you cannot completely give up dairy, choosing to drink plant based milk is a great way to reduce environmental impact and live a more sustainable life :)

- Saloni

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/milk#benefits

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/almond-milk#recipe

https://youmatter.world/en/almond-milk-green-bad-environment/#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%20almond,to%20emissions%20associated%20with%20transportation.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oat-milk#downsides

https://www.healthline.com/health/milk-almond-cow-soy-rice#rice-milk

Seitan

If you have TikTok, you’ve probably seen a few videos about seitan. Seitan has been all over TikTok recently with videos of seitan being made out of wheat and flour going viral. Seitan is essentially the gluten protein found in bread. It’s an extremely popular vegan protein source that also has a meaty texture often not found in other vegan protein sources such as tofu or tempeh. Its meaty texture is what makes seitan popular among vegans.

Seitan can be found in most grocery stores and can be made at home. There are a few different ways to make seitan. It can be made out of normal flour and water. Choosing a flour with a higher protein content, such as bread flour, would be better than choosing a flour with lower protein content. Often, the protein content can be found in the bag of flour itself. Seitan can also be made with vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten has a much higher protein content than normal flour, so it requires less time and effort to make. People have many different ways of making seitan with different flour to water ratios, but the flour to water ratio is usually 2:1 or 3:1 depending on the recipe.

Making seitan out of flour can produce a lot of waste in terms of the starch that’s being washed out, but that starchy water can be used for other things. To use this starch water, you must collect the water and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours until the water separates from the starch. This leftover starch can then be used to make noodles or vegan bacon. Seitan can also be seasoned with many spices, which is what really gives it the meaty taste. It can also be prepared in many different ways such as boiling, frying, and steaming.

There is a large misconception that seitan is just “fried bread.” When the dough is washed and the starch is washed out, you are left with just the gluten protein found in bread. Seitan is very healthy as it is high in protein and selenium. Seitan also doesn’t contain a lot of fat or carbs since most of the starch is washed out during the process of making it. However, seitan is not a complete protein because it does not have the 9 essential amino acids, but this problem can be easily fixed by eating seitan with other protein sources such as beans. Overall seitan is a very good replacement for meat that is high in protein and very healthy!

- Saloni Jain