Louise Pearson: Earth is being ravaged by titanium mining so we can smear sunblock on our noses

THE décolletage is an area seldom mentioned in this column, but today is the exception. I’m Victorian when it comes to showing flesh – anything above the ankles or below the chin is risky.

Yet caution was thrown to the wind on a recent break in Barcelona, and I found myself sporting a V-necked blouse on an open-top tour bus. You know the sort of vehicle – the one that lets you see a foreign city without having to get too close to the natives, lest someone tries to pick your pocket or engage you in bartering. Prior to leaving the hotel, I had smeared on some factor 15, but as the hours went by and I took endless snaps of Gaudi buildings, I failed to notice I was getting sunburned.

Moral of the story? Wear a low-cut top and you may get more than you bargained for. No, not foreign lotharios. So, with summer approaching, I’m wondering which sunscreen to use. Delve into this subject and you’ll soon find tales of sinister nanoparticles, coral reefs being bleached thanks to factor 50 run-off, and the earth being ravaged by titanium mining so that we can smear a fluorescent streak of sunblock across our noses.

Let’s start with some NHS advice (www.nhs.uk). Having been told for years to slather ourselves with sunscreen, we are now advised to spend a short period of time each day without the stuff, so as to absorb Vitamin D. Having soaked up ten minutes of unadulterated rays, we must then stay covered and frequently reapply sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 15.

Is there such a thing as green sunscreen? The guide from Ethical Consumer (www.ethicalconsumer.org) explains that even ‘natural’ sunscreens are likely to contain chemicals of concern as “it is very difficult to produce a sunscreen that is both green and effective”. A 2006 change in EC guidelines led to natural skincare companies such as Dr Hauschka and Weleda halting sunscreen production as they couldn’t achieve the new ratio of 1:3 for UVA and UVB protection without using synthetics. A recent area of debate has been nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. The worst case scenario involves them being absorbed into the body and creating havoc, but at present this is hearsay.

Nanoparticles makes me think of the film Inner Space, where Dennis Quaid is miniaturised and injected into Martin Short’s bottom. But what happens to sunscreen’s nanoparticles once we clean it off is less entertaining. It’s estimated that up to 6,000 tons of the stuff is washed into reefs each year, and a study in the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives reports that the chemicals cause coral to push out its algae, making it vulnerable. The environmental risks of titanium mining include pollution, deforestation and water shortages.

The Ethical Consumer report awarded ‘best buy’ status to just two sunscreens – from Yaoh (www.yaoh.co.uk) and Neal’s Yard (www.nealsyardremedies.com), though the first contains titanium dioxide and the second zinc oxide. To some extent, though the whole debate is redundant since without sunscreen you risk skin cancer – a link that is proven, unlike the nanoparticle theories. I plan to face summer with a high-necked blouse, a floppy hat, Neal’s Yard sunscreen and a vow to protect my décolletage.