Dear cosmetic world...Am I a bad mother?

“ Am I a bad mother for refusing to smear commercial sunscreen on my children?”

“Am I a bad mother for QUESTIONING those who make me feel guilty for NOT spreading number 30, 45 or 60 SPF daily on my children’s skin? Isn’t anything over 30 redundant?

“Am I a bad mother for listening to my gut feeling that something strange is going on here?”

I don’t think so.

Someone is making a lot of money at my child’s expense. If I were to follow the piper, I would lather my babes in sun screen daily . I would send them off to school and summer camp with bottles of sunscreen, as is required by most institutions. If no sunscreen, no outside play.

Who sent this directive? Is it public pressure ? The School Boards? Health Canada? The Government? Big Pharma? Some Lobbyist?

Picture an auditorium filled with mothers.
Ask them. ``Do you want your child’s skin to burn?” Do you want your child to get cancer? Do you want your child to suffer ?
Not one mother will raise their hand.

I feed my children well. They rarely eat processed foods. Their skin is vibrant and healthy. I put good oils on their skin: coconut, shea, argan and olive...pure , without additives. These ’skin nutrients’ help make their skin healthier to fight against damaging weather conditions. My children welcome some sunshine on their bodies. They welcome the Vitamin D that makes their bones grow, their muscles work and their immune system healthier.

I choose not to follow the trend and prevent the sunshine doing its job. But I am also cautious of the sun.

A parent knows their child...the skin color, the skin sensitivity and where that skin is going to be that day.

IF my child is in danger from too much sun, if my child has to be out in the sunshine for too long at one time, then YES, I will protect my child from burning rays. I will, at that time, put on a good zinc oxide or titanium dioxide sunscreen so they do not burn. I choose my protections carefully.

I will not coat my children in toxins daily. I will not smother their skin in chemical sunscreens. I will not prevent nature’s sun from caressing their bodies and feeding their spirits

But I will protect them when necessary. I am not a bad mother.

Dear Cosmetic World, provide us with wise choices.