Sunscreen - divine or deadly?

Years ago, I watched my neighbor, Carol, stretch out regularly in the sun She'd baste her body with suntan lotion and stay out there for what seemed like eons.

As the mother of two toddlers and a free-lance writer, I had no time to sunbathe. Too bad - or so I thought then.

I moved away 20 years ago. During a return visit, Carol spotted me and called my name. I didn't recognize her - there stood a wrinkled, leathery looking woman with brown age spots

Now I'm grateful I didn't have my "time in the sun". My skin stayed young looking. A dermatologist I say in In Key West for a reaction I had to a product, told me recently my skin looks very young for my age.

With the blazing sun in Key West, I asked her the best way to protect my skin - wanting to maintain this young look I just learned I had. Her advice was to apply sunscreen every morning and again after swimming or perspiring, stay out of the sun from 12 - 4, or wear sunscreen PLUS protective clothing.

Then she added, "Use a non-nanoparticle clear zinc oxide sunscreen. Most of the others contain ingredients that other countries have banned because of their toxic ingredients." Zinc oxide is considered safe across the globe.

Since a buildup of toxic chemicals on the skin can cause acne and prematurely aging skin (according to research), using the wrong sunscreen could defeat my goal of looking young.

It's great that the bad reaction that took me to a dermatologist was actually the key to learning what to use to avoid the harm most common sunscreens can do.