The anti-sunscreen movement is upon us. If you look on TikTok, influencers are making radical claims that sunscreen causes skin cancer, which we know to be clearly false. But the hate on sunscreen didn’t start just a few months ago. It’s been an ongoing trend and caught fire again recently. So where did this movement start? Back in 2020 and it continues to this day with a daily bombardment of sunscreen skepticism in my clinic. So what are the most common claims floating around against sunscreen? Let’s look at the facts and where the data stands.
Systemic Absorption of Sunscreen Ingredients. In 2020, a clinical trial grabbed everyone’s attention because it found chemical sunscreens ingredients are systemically absorbed. But keep in mind, the mere presence of the ingredients in the blood doesn’t necessarily tell us if it is causing any harm or its clinical significance. We know several products that you apply to the skin have potential for systemic absorption without concern for side effects or complications. The study did reveal that sunscreen ingredients stay superficially on the skin for a long time, which is good news since that is where they work. The FDA commented on the study and said that finding chemicals in the bloodstream does not make chemical sunscreens unsafe.
Benzene Contamination. Another study in 2021 found benzene in sunscreen products as well. Benzene is a known carcinogen, and the FDA does not allow it to be an additive to products unless it is unavoidable to manufacture a product that is a “significant therapeutic advance.” Benzene is not added to sunscreens but is a contaminant. Benzene can form as a part of the manufacturing process when quality control measures aren’t met or as a chemical breaks down, like the recent findings in the study with benzoyl peroxide. That’s why you saw a sunscreen recall from 2021-2022 because of benzene-contaminated products. Not only was sunscreen affected, but so was hand sanitizer, deodorants, and hair and foot products. But you don’t see all of those products treated unfairly and singled out on the market. For some reason, sunscreen has taken the hit.
Environmental Harm. The environmental impact of sunscreen use has also been in the spotlight. Researchers detected chemical sunscreen ingredients in naturally occurring bodies of water, especially near coral reefs. This begs the question of whether or not sunscreens are causing damage to the reefs. Studies have been done in a lab setting and showed sunscreen bleaching of coral in tanks, but this hasn’t been proven with sunscreen that washes off your skin and into the ocean. It’s a big jump from a lab setting to the real world; more studies are needed. Now, you will see “Reef Safe” as a label on sunscreen products. This is an unregulated term and “Reef Safe” essentially means that the sunscreen product only has mineral ingredients.
Hormone Disruptor. Claims that ingredients like oxybenzone, avobenzone, and homosalate can act as endocrine or hormone disruptors are based on animal and lab studies along with evidence of systemic absorption into the body. If you look at the oxybenzone studies used to support these claims, you will find they were actually done in rats that were fed oxybenzone. Yes, fed oxybenzone! It would take an individual 277 years of sunscreen use to achieve the equivalent systemic dose that produced effects in these rat studies. That’s an incredible thought! But more importantly, it puts things into proper perspective and reinforces the fact that definitive link ingredients causing hormone disruption in humans has not been established.
Sunscreen Prevents Vitamin D Absorption. It’s true that ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure helps the body synthesize vitamin D and that using sunscreen may block some of that conversion. However, the amount blocked by regular sunscreen use is minimal and most people are still exposed to enough incidental sunlight to maintain healthy levels. In addition, because the majority apply far less sunscreen than the recommended amount, they often are not deficient in vitamin D. For those at risk of deficiency, you can add in supplements or fortified foods, which are a much more reliable source and don’t carry any risk of skin cancer.
Sunscreen Causes Skin Cancer. These claims stem from studies where individuals who used sunscreen had a higher risk of skin cancer. This false association was made because the individuals who used sunscreen were the same ones who were traveling to sunny destinations and sunbathing. But it wasn’t the sunscreen that elevated their risk. It was the high amount of sun exposure. Studies show that sunscreen reduces your skin cancer risk and slows the signs of aging. A randomized controlled trial in Australia that found that daily use of sunscreen reduced the incidence of melanoma by 50%. In addition, a Norwegian study found that using at least 15 SPF sunscreen lowered melanoma risk by 30%.
So there you have it. Sunscreen hysteria that has been amplified by social media but when you break it down, the data is on the side of sunscreen use as a safe, effective part of a sun protection regimen. As of now, chemical and mineral sunscreens are considered safe by the FDA. There are ongoing studies with the FDA to evaluate sunscreen safety, but at this time, they encourage regular sunscreen use to protect against skin cancer and premature aging. At the federal level, there is also the Sunscreen Safety Act which looks to streamline the FDA regulatory process for sunscreen ingredients and create an efficient path to safe and more effective sunscreen products.
Trotter’s Take: Wear your damn sunscreen!
