Do You Know What You're Putting On Your Skin When Applying Your Sunscreen?

Now is the time of year where the days are longer, the sun is shining and bringing hotter temperatures with it, and we are enjoying the outdoors more. This is also the time where we lather on the sunscreen to protect our skin and cells from sun damage and reduce the risk of skin cancer. While the message to apply sunscreen is ingrained into our brains at a young age, there seems to be some potential dangers to their applications that many of us are not aware of.

Our skin is the largest organ of the human body and our first line of defense for many things. It is also highly absorptive. Therefore, is it crucial to treat our skin kindly and to be mindful of what we put on our skin. 

Let’s start with the first question…is sunscreen beneficial? Should I use it?

This is honestly up to you! It truly depends on personal preference and what brings peace of mind to you. There really is no clear evidence that using sunscreen actually prevents skin cancer, including the best sunscreens. In fact, some ingredients may actually fuel skin cancer. Sun exposure appears to play a role in melanoma, but it is a complex disease that really needs more research. Retinyl palmitate, a form of vitamin A commonly found in sunscreens, could speed up the development of skin tumors and lesions according to government studies. Along with this form of vitamin A, there are other vitamin A ingredients that likely should be avoided with our sunscreens and skincare:

• Vitamin A

• Retinol

• Retinyl acetate

• Retinyl linoleate

Dermatologists from Stanford University also concluded that people who relied on sunscreens for sun protection ended up getting more sunburns than people who reported infrequent sunscreen use, but used other methods (like hats, clothing, shade, etc.) for protection.

There’s also increasing evidence that UVA exposure causes skin cancer, and unfortunately, sunscreen rules requiring adequate UVA protection in the U.S. are lacking. U.S. sunscreens allow about 3x more UVA rays to transfer through skin compared to European sunscreens. American sunscreen choices are also fewer and often offer worse UVA protection compared to those available in the European Union.

This matters because…

• UVA rays are more abundant than UVB rays

• UVA damage is more subtle than the sunburns induced mainly by UVB rays

• UVA rays can damage your skin invisibly by suppressing the immune system and aging the skin over time

  • Overexposure of these rays are linked to the development of melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma

Wait, there’s more! Not only do U.S. sunscreens lack in UVA protection, but many of the common chemicals found in the sunscreens can interfere with your health!

The effects of sunscreen may linger longer than expected as an FDA-led 2020 study found that “chemical sunscreen ingredients are systemically absorbed after one application, and some ingredients can stay in the blood for at least 3 weeks.” Think about this when applying sunscreen EVERY DAY! Among the sunscreen chemicals tested, were:

• Avobenzone

• Oxybenzone

• Octocrylene

• Homosalate

• Octisalate

• Octinoxate

All 6 of these active ingredients tested were readily absorbed into the bloodstream of humans in the study at concentrations that surpass an important FDA safety threshold. Many sunscreens also contain an unhealthy dose of hormones (oxybenzone is one of them). Oxybenzone acts like estrogen in the body and this chemical has been linked to:

• Endometriosis in older women

• Lower birthweights in newborn girls

• Lower testosterone in adolescent boys

• Lower sperm levels in grown men

• Allergic reactions

Oxybenzone was also detected in blood at levels 438x higher than the FDA’s cutoff exposure rate in the study.

The Environmental Working Group also found that nearly 75% of sunscreens don’t work and/or contain concerning ingredients that are readily absorbed by the body. There really is no perfect sunscreen.

• They may contain harmful chemicals

• Even the mineral-based sunscreens, which are considered better for your health, contain nanoparticles (minute ingredients that can cross the blood-brain barrier and harm aquatic life)

• No product is going to be fully protective

• No product will last on your skin for more than 2 hours max

Sunscreen also hinders our synthesis of vitamin D which is ESSENTIAL to our immune health and overall health!

Sunshine is the best and most effective way to ensure we meet our vitamin D needs. When we are out in the sun and can absorb the UVA/UVB rays, a chemical process occurs in our body which synthesizes the sun’s rays into vitamin D. Getting out into the sun for 20 minutes at noon, during the peak of the day, can help you reach your necessary vitamin D levels in the body!

With that said…

The choice is ultimately up to you and your comfort level. If you do want to continue using sunscreen, look for safer options (usually mineral sunscreens) and don’t solely rely on sunscreens alone to prevent sun overexposure. Other methods of sun protection include:

• Wear a hat!

• Wear sunglasses

• Try wearing some sun protective clothing!

• Seek shade during peak hours

• Avoid peak sunlight for extended periods of time

• Consume in-season foods: the produce and foods that are abundant in the summer contain powerful nutrients that can protect your skin from the UV rays!

  • Blueberries

  • Watermelon (contains lycopene – more than tomatoes!)

    • Lycopene absorbs both UVA and UVB radiation

    • After a few weeks of daily, juicy watermelon consumption, lycopene can eventually act as a natural sunblock

  • Nuts & seeds

    • Contain healthy omega-3 fats that are great for our skin

  • Carrots & leafy greens

    • Contain beta-carotene that converts into vitamin A (vital for skin health)

    • Also contain lutein and zeaxanthin

      • Powerful antioxidants that protect against wrinkling, sun damage, and even skin cancer

  • Green tea

    • Contains EGCG (a flavanol) which helps protect against decrease of collagen

  • Cauliflower

    • Contains potent antioxidants that fight of oxidative stress

    • Also contains histidine

      • Histidine is an alpha-amino acid that stimulates the production of urocanic acid, which absorbs UV radiation

Start your day off with sun-protecting foods, eat in-season foods, use other sun-protective methods to protect yourself from harmful rays, and if you prefer to use a sunscreen on top of that, then make sure to check out https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/best-sunscreens/best-moisturizers-with-spf/ to find one of the better options out there!

The key to our health and well-being is using a holistic approach! What we put ON our body is just as important as what we put INTO our body!