3rd Rock Nerd Nook
Deep-dive science articles for the curious minds
FDA Approves First New Sunscreen Active in Decades: Innovation or Reinforcement of an Aging Chemical Paradigm?
The first new sunscreen active added to the U.S. OTC monograph in more than 25 years. Bemotrizinol belongs to the same chemical sunscreen philosophy that has dominated the market for decade. This "new" active is not actually new, just new to use in the USA. Therefore, this approval represents an evolution—not a revolution, as Europe has been using it for over 25 years, with no marked decline in rising skin cancer rates.
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SPF, UVA & UVB: The Science Behind the Green Line
When shopping for sunscreen, most people look at one thing first: the SPF number. SPF 15, SPF 30, SPF 50—higher must be better, right? Not necessarily.
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FDA Facts on CGMP: Why Manufacturing Standards Matter for Product Quality
Understanding FDA facts on CGMP helps consumers recognize why manufacturing standards matter for product quality, consistency, and safety. Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP), regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, establish strict requirements for manufacturing processes, facility controls, employee training, and quality systems designed to help ensure products are produced under reliable and sanitary conditions.
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3rd Rock Sunblock Checks All the Reef Safe Boxes
The 3rd Rock (Earth) is going through some changes. One of the changes that stands out is the increasing rate of coral bleaching and coral reef death. Much of this is due to chemicals added to the water from swimmers, divers, those snorkeling, or others just floating. These chemicals come from products that we use daily which have ingredients that are not reef safe. When your skin touches the water, many of the hundreds of chemicals in personal care products, cosmetics, and sunscreens a person has applied wash off into the water. It is unfortunate that sunscreen products, used to keep you at the beach and in the water, are not only made with harmful chemical ingredients, but products that degrade into even more harmful chemicals. (Remember the benzene?) These ingredients are NOT Reef Safe. Because of their beauty and unique, plentiful ocean-life, coral reefs attract people that swim slowly over the reef to gaze in awe.... while depositing harmful chemicals over them. Add in other types of pollution, and the reefs greatly suffer. This is not reef safe behavior. Surfrider Foundation came out with a great article in May about what to look for in sunscreens that actually work, that are healthy for your body, and that are good for ocean life (reef safe). 3rd Rock Essentials Sunscreen checks ALL of these boxes! We are more than reef safe... WE FEED THE REEF! *3rd Rock Sunblock is approved for use on any beach in any part of the world.Our non-toxic ingredients have been selected with reef-safe in mind. And then we took it a step further... Our ingredients FEED THE REEF. Instead of depositing chemicals and their degradation products as you swim, the ingredients in 3rd Rock Sunblock Sunscreen Lotion deposit minerals and foods for the reef. Click HERE to read the article.
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