Gisele Bundchen: Sunscreen is 'poison'

Gisele Bundchen recently declared that sunscreen is "poison," adding that she opts for natural products to protect her skin from the sun's harmful rays.

Most sunscreens contain chemicals that absorb ultraviolet light, which helps prevent sunburns and skin cancer. Those containing a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 70 have been found to be particularly effective, according to a 2010 New York University study.

"I cannot put this poison on my skin," Bundchen, a 30-year-old Brazilian supermodel and wife of NFL star Tom Brady recently said, according to the UK newspaper The Daily Mail. "I do not use anything synthetic."

Bundchen, said to be the highest-paid model in the world with estimated annual earnings of some $35 million, has appeared in advertisements for Nivea Sun products in the past. She later took to her blog to clarify her comments.

"I do use sunblock but also I try my best not to be exposed to the sun when it is too strong," Bundchen said. "My line of skincare products are all natural and do not contain SPF. I feel we all need to pay more attention to what we are putting on our skin. I definitely know the importance of using sunscreen and I try to look for more natural options."

Bundchen raised eyebrows last year when she told the UK edition of Harper's Bazaar magazine that mothers should be required by law to breastfeed their babies rather than use formula. She and Brady welcomed a son, Benjamin, in December 2009.

"Some people here think they don't have to breastfeed, and I think, 'Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?'" she said. "I think there should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months."

She also clarified her comments on her blog then, saying: "My intention in making a comment about the importance of breastfeeding has nothing to do with the law. I am not here to judge I believe that bringing a life into this world is the single most important thing a person can undertake and it can also be the most challenging. I think as mothers we are all just trying our best."