Does sunscreen give you cancer?

But what about concerns that sunscreen itself could lead to other types of cancer due to its chemical ingredients?

wealth we spoke to experts to understand how to stay safe while enjoying the sunshine.

What’s in sunscreen?

Depending on the product, you’ll find several active ingredients that offer broad-spectrum protection against the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Basically, there are two varieties of sunscreen: physical and chemical. Physicals, also known as mineral-based, contain two main active ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which act as a physical barrier between the skin and the sun. Sunscreens without these two active ingredients are classified as chemicals and usually contain a mixture of other active ingredients.

Should you be concerned about sunscreen?

The answer depends largely on what kind of sunscreen you use. Most of the concerns swirling around in the sunscreen sphere are related to the active ingredients in chemical sunscreens.

A 2020 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) randomized clinical trial found that six active ingredients (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, and octinoxate) in various chemical sunscreens were absorbed systemically into the body.

“The concern is not that these are chemical sunscreens per se, but that they are absorbed through the skin,” said FDA press officer Cherie Duvall-Jones. wealth. “This means we need to know what these absorbed sunscreen ingredients do when they enter the human body. For example, can it lead to cancer or cause developmental or reproductive problems if people use sunscreen every day?”

That’s a question Emily Spilman, a safety scientist at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG), would like to get a clearer answer to. Based on her research on chemical sunscreen ingredients, she would like to see stricter regulations from the FDA.

“Some (active ingredients) are linked to skin allergies and immunotoxicity,” says Spilman. wealth. “Some of them are also linked to more worrisome effects, like hormonal disruption, endocrine disruption.”

Spilman pointed out that two ingredients in particular, octinoxate and oxybenzone, have been linked to disruption of the endocrine system, which creates and releases hormones for countless important body functions.

Hormone disruptors and carcinogens

The terms “hormonal disruption” and “endocrine disruption” were thrown around as more research emerged about human exposure to chemicals. But do they really mean it? The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences calls endocrine disruptors “natural or man-made chemicals that can mimic or interfere with the body’s hormones,” and they are associated with various health problems, including some cancers.

“Four studies published in 2020 support previous findings that oxybenzone may act as an endocrine disruptor and increase the risk of breast cancer and endometriosis,” said an EWG spokesperson. wealth. And while it’s not definitive that hormone disruptors will directly cause cancer, he says, “some common contaminants in sunscreens are also linked to carcinogenicity.” Carcinogens, according to the Cleveland Clinic, are substances that can increase your risk of cancer.

Some of those ingredients to watch for — in addition to octinoxate and oxybenzone — are octocrylene, which the EWG says is often contaminated with benzophenone, a carcinogen. Aerosol sunscreens have also been found to be contaminated with benzene, another cancer-causing chemical, the EWG says.

In 2019, the FDA requested data from the manufacturers of these chemicals to determine their safety.

“To date, none of the manufacturers of sunscreen active ingredients currently on the US market have provided this data to the FDA,” says Dr. Theresa Michele, director of the FDA’s Office of Nonprescription Drugs. Wealth.

“Although the FDA has no information to indicate that currently marketed active sunscreen ingredients … have established safety risks, it is important to determine whether or not there are risks associated with the use of these ingredients,” says Michele. “That’s why the agency requested the missing safety information.”

So which sunscreen is the safest to use?

“Trying to avoid endocrine-disrupting chemicals can be difficult as a consumer,” says Spilman.

But it is not impossible.

Spilman says your safest bet is to use a broad-spectrum mineral-based sunscreen to avoid the potentially harmful active ingredients in chemical sunscreens. You’ll know it’s a mineral sunscreen if the only two active ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, she notes.

As part of mineral sunscreens, Spilman also advises using cream-based lotions or sunscreen sticks; while zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do not absorb into the skin like chemical sunscreens, aerosol (spray) sunscreens can still pose a health threat if inhaled.

“Due to the potential for inhalation exposure, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified titanium dioxide as possibly causing cancer in humans,” the EWG says. wealth. “For this reason, powder or spray formulations containing titanium dioxide are a concern.”

Spilman also recommends avoiding sunscreens that include “flavors” on the inactive ingredients label. “That term can really hide the mix of potentially harmful chemicals behind it,” she says.

Sunscreens made for young children, she adds, are perfect for anyone to use because they’re usually formulated with higher safety standards.

In addition to following the EWG’s sun protection recommendations, consumers can follow the American Academy of Dermatology’s general advice by looking for products with:

• Broad spectrum protection (protecting against both UVA and UVB rays)
• SPF 30 or higher
• Water resistance

The academy also recommends reapplying sunscreen every two hours when outside, or after swimming or sweating. And remember that even on cloudy days you need sunscreen, as up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays can penetrate clouds.

The bottom line: Yes, you should still wear sunscreen

While there are concerns about what’s in our sunscreen, the American Academy of Dermatology stresses the importance of wearing it.

“Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US, and unprotected exposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays is a major risk factor for skin cancer,” the AAD points out in its official sun protection guidelines.

In a statement to wealthThe AAD added, “While recent studies have shown that some sunscreen chemical ingredients can be absorbed into the body through the skin, the data do not show any effects on a person’s health. Those who have concerns about chemical sunscreen ingredients can opt for a physical sunscreen.”

The FDA, EWG, and AAD encourage people to wear sunscreen whenever they are outside. Because while the evidence remains unclear as to whether or not these chemicals are linked to cancer, the evidence linking UV rays to cancer is clear.