Experts Weigh in on Sunscreen Safety
The medical community has been telling us for decades how important it is to wear sunscreen to help prevent the most common type of cancer, skin cancer; but recently there has been an increase in social media posts claiming that sunscreen might actually do more harm than good… so which is it? In an effort to educate and ensure that you are protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays we’ve taken a closer look at the claims being made about one of the best means of protection, sunscreen.
Are there carcinogenic chemicals in my sunscreen?
Recently a report done by an independent lab that validates medications for quality and consistency concluded that small amounts of benzene, a carcinogenic chemical, were found in some sunscreens. This resulted in the urgent recall of several sunscreen brands. It is important to note that benzene is not actually an ingredient in sunscreen, and that the contamination happened during the manufacturing process. Not all sunscreens were affected by this contamination. The regular use of sunscreen that does not contain benzene contamination is still widely recommended by medical professionals and the American Academy of Dermatology.
Sunscreens that were not found to contain Benzene:
EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF 47 *Available at Sip Derm*
EltaMD UV Daily Face Moisturizer with SPF 40 *Available at Sip Derm*
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Body & Face Sunscreen
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Dermo-Kids Gentle Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 60
Neutrogena Age Shield Face Lotion Sunscreen with Broad Spectrum SPF 110
Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Oxide Mineral Sunscreen with SPF 50
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion
Aveeno Ultra-Calming Fragrance-Free Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 30
Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion
Sun Bum Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70
Supergoop! Play Body Mousse SPF 50 with Blue Sea Kale
Coola Organic Sunscreen SPF 50 Sunblock
Vanicream SPF 35 Sport Sunscreen
Solimo Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
Australian Gold Sunscreen Bronzer Lotion
Hawaiian Tropic Island Sport Sunscreen Lotion
Does my body absorb the chemicals in my sunscreen?
There have been studies that show that some of the active ingredients in sunscreens are systemically absorbed, however the data indicates that the absorption of these ingredients is not actually harmful to us. In fact, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) and the ADA (American Academy of Dermatology) still regard the regular use of sunscreen as safe and encourage people to use it as one of their means of protection for the sun’s UV rays.
Am I harming coral reefs by wearing sunscreen?
There have been claims that some ingredients in sunscreens, such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, contribute to the widespread bleaching of coral reefs. While this claim has not been scientifically proven or disproven, the biggest threats to our coral reefs are by far overfishing, pollution, development and the rising temperature of the water due to climate change. Bleaching of coral is occurring in remote locations where little to no human activity occurs so it’s a stretch to say that sunscreen is a main factor in coral bleaching. A study done by Henry W. Lim, M.D., a board certified dermatologist and chair of the dermatology department at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, sited that oxybenzone concentration in the water surrounding the Hawaiian Islands was 0.8 to 19.2 parts per billion and that coral bleaching and death did not occur until concentration levels reached 33 to 50 parts per billion. While no sunscreen has been proven to be 100% reef safe it is widely believed that mineral sunscreens do not harm coral reefs. To be sure your sunscreen is reef-safe, check the ingredients to ensure it does not contain oxybenzone or octinoxate.
Is my sunscreen doing more harm than good?
The overall message is that NOT wearing sunscreen will do more harm than good. Health care providers and public health authorities agree that you should wear sunscreen on a daily basis and reapply every two hours if you are in the sun. If you are still not comfortable wearing sunscreen we recommend seeking shade whenever possible and wearing UPF (SPF) clothing when you will be in the sun. Check out or blog on UPF clothing to learn more.
Sources:
https://www.livderm.org/addressing-the-doubts-surrounding-sunscreen-safety
https://www.skincancer.org/blog/whats-the-sunscreen-situation/
https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/
