Inside Story

July is UV Safety Month, and while sunscreen season is in full swing, the topic can get more than a little messy.

As Yahoo Health reports, while sun protection is critical for preventing skin cancer, researchers have found that a few of the chemicals commonly found in sunscreens are also linked to some pretty serious health concerns. So, trying to decide how to make the best decisions for you and your family’s long-term health can make going to the beach feel like a high-stakes game of rolling the sun damage/skin cancer dice. But there is relief in site, now that modern formulations have to meet stricter safety standards.

Health concerns around sunscreens

“There is good news in the sunscreen marketplace,” says David Andrews, PhD, chief science officer of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit, non-regulatory agency that advocates for safer consumer products and independently tests sunscreens and other items for chemicals that have been linked to health concerns. “We have seen a significant decrease in two ingredients that EWG has long recommended consumers avoid: oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate.”

The main concern with these and similar ingredients in sunscreens is that they are easily absorbed from the skin into the body and have been found in breast milk, amniotic fluid, urine, semen and blood. While the presence of these chemicals doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re causing any harm, it’s the reason more studies are needed to help determine whether they can truly be considered safe. But therein lies a problem: It’s difficult to construct studies to determine if there are direct links between these ingredients and human health, and many of the studies performed to date have been performed on animals.

That said, a 2023 review published in Environment International that looked at human and animal evidence found that oxybenzone, in particular, has endocrine-disrupting properties, with data indicating its presence can affect menstrual cycle hormonal alterations in humans, along with an increased risk of uterine fibroids and endometriosis.

Government organizations are taking note. In 2021, the European Commission (EU) significantly lowered the amount of oxybenzone allowed in sunscreens to 2.2% (the U.S. allows up to 6%), and Hawaii banned products that contain oxybenzone due to the ingredient’s potential to harm marine life. In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that more evidence is needed to determine whether oxybenzone is safe and effective, specifically noting that there is concern due to “questions raised in the published literature regarding the potential for endocrine activity.”

If you’re skeptical, you’re not alone — but it’s worth noting that some of the alarm-raising animal studies don’t reflect real-world human use. These studies often expose animals to high levels of ingested chemicals, which doesn’t translate to how they’re used in everyday, topically applied products like sunscreens. The animals are exposed to a flood of chemicals, when in real life humans may only be exposed to an occasional sprinkle. While such research can highlight potential risks, it doesn’t offer clear conclusions without human studies based on realistic exposure levels.

The question is then, if there is some evidence that some ingredients in some sunscreens could be harmful (even though it’s still unclear if they cause harm and, if so, to what extent), what’s the best course of action to protect your skin from the sun and your body from potential toxins?

The short answer: Read your sunscreen’s ingredient list.

Mineral sunscreens, which block UV rays from penetrating the skin, aren’t absorbed into the body, making them a potentially safer alternative. They’re also less likely to cause a skin reaction compared to chemical sunscreens. “I advise my patients concerned about chemical exposure to choose mineral-based sunscreens that contain zinc and/or titanium over chemical ones,” says Dr. Christopher Bunick, associate professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine.

General guidelines for staying safe in the sun

Preventing skin cancer is mission critical. “I explain to my patients that any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen,” says Bunick. “Evidence shows that the risks of skin cancer are much higher from sunburns over one’s lifetime than from consistent use of sunscreens — even chemical sunscreens.” For instance, if a mineral sunscreen is not on hand, using a chemical-based sunscreen is your next best option. “Those sunscreens are, in fact, better than a sunburn,” Bunick says.

Choose lotions, sticks or roll-on products. Spray sunscreens are so convenient, but they are not the top choice for several reasons. “Inhalation of spray sunscreens remains a concern,” says Andrews. Not to mention, spray can be lost to the environment if wind carries it away, and users may be less likely to apply sufficient coverage. “With all sunscreens, it is important to rub them in and reapply frequently to ensure no spots are missed,” Andrews says.

Sun protection is more than just sunscreen. While sunscreen is a significant part of the equation, Bunick says that sun protection “involves sun-protective clothing (hats, clothing or swimsuits where sun protection is built into the fabric itself) and choosing early morning or late afternoon times to go outside when the sun is less intense,” as well as limiting your time in the sun and reapplying sunscreen every 40 to 80 minutes if you are sweating or getting wet.

FAQs

What’s the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreens?

As Yahoo Health reports, these are the two broad categories of sunscreen. Each category protects your skin in a different way.

Mineral sunscreens, sometimes referred to as physical sunscreens, create a barrier between your skin and the sun. This barrier reflects the UVA and UVB rays away from your skin, preventing sun damage. These mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient. They’re also generally considered safer for your skin, your body and the environment.

Chemical sunscreens rub into your skin, and they absorb the sun’s rays rather than reflecting them. By absorbing the rays before your skin absorbs them, they too help prevent sun damage. The most common active ingredients in chemical sunscreens include avobenzone, oxybenzone, ecamsule and octocrylene. Chemical sunscreens often use a combination of ingredients.

What ingredients should I avoid when looking for “non-toxic” sunscreens?

First, we should note that “non-toxic” is not a regulated term, making it hard to define. The FDA regulates sunscreens, and in 2021 the FDA released a report following a review of 16 common sunscreen ingredients that found that only two ingredients could be designated as “generally recognized as safe and effective,” or GRASE. GRASE status is a designation the FDA uses for OTC drugs like sunscreen that indicates there’s sufficient scientific evidence to support both the safety and effectiveness of the drug for consumers. In the case of the 16 tested sunscreen ingredients, only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide — the most common active ingredients in mineral sunscreens — made the cut.

Two ingredients — aminobenzoic acid and trolamine salicylate, which aren’t commonly used in sunscreens — were deemed unsafe and are no longer allowed to be used as sunscreen ingredients. The remaining 12 ingredients have insufficient data to label them as GRASE, and the FDA is requesting more data before giving them a designation. These include avobenzone, cinoxate, dioxybenzone, ensulizole, homosalate, meradimate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone, padimate O and sulisobenzone.

While these 12 ingredients are currently allowed to be used in sunscreens, there is some evidence in small studies that six of these ingredients can be absorbed through the skin and can be found in the bloodstream after just one application, causing concern about the potential for chemical buildup over time. However, most of them — with the exception of oxybenzone and octinoxate, which have some evidence of being hormone disruptors — don’t have strong evidence linking them to significant health concerns.

However, if you prefer to avoid products containing these six additional ingredients, look for sunscreens that do not list the following on the label:

• Oxybenzone
• Octinoxate (octylmethoxycinnamate)
• Homosalate
• Octisalate
• Octocrylene
• Avobenzone

For the purposes of this article, we used EWG’s Verified and “generally safe” ratings to guide our recommendations. Most of the products we selected only use the FDA’s GRASE ingredients as their active ingredients, and we’ve avoided oxybenzone and octinoxate entirely.

What is the difference between UVA and UVB rays?

Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays have a longer wavelength that penetrates deeper into the skin. These are associated with skin damage and aging — to help you remember, you can think of the “A” in UVA as “aging.” Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays have a shorter but powerful wavelength that can result in more immediate skin damage in the form of burning. Likewise, you can remember this by thinking of the “B” in UVB as “burning.”

Both types of rays contribute to skin damage that can eventually lead to cell mutations and cancer. While “SPF” specifically refers to the sun protection factor from the burning-associated UVB rays, when a sunscreen is labeled as “broad-spectrum,” it offers protection from both types of rays.

What does “reef-friendly” mean?

The terms “reef-friendly” and “reef-safe” are not regulated and may be looked at more as marketing lingo than a guarantee of environmental protection. That said, the term “reef-friendly” often refers to mineral-based sunscreens that feature zinc and/or titanium oxide, says Catie Boucher, board-certified dermatology nurse practitioner. These ingredients are less likely to contribute to coral bleaching than some ingredients found in chemical sunscreens like oxybenzone and octinoxate, although as a whole, more research is needed in this area to understand the true implications of sunscreens and the environment.

Just keep in mind, even mineral sunscreens aren’t without their own environmental concerns. Some products marketed as “reef-friendly” may use nano zinc and nano titanium, which are considered less safe for marine plants and animals.

Are “natural” or “organic” sunscreens better for me?

Like the word “non-toxic,” the term “natural” also isn’t regulated and doesn’t have a clear definition when it comes to sunscreens. Additionally, all sunscreens are chemically treated during the manufacturing process to make them shelf-stable and safe. Just because a product is listed as “all natural” doesn’t mean it’s safer or more effective.

The term “organic” can also be a little confusing when it comes to sunscreens. Technically, mineral sunscreens are considered “inorganic” because zinc oxide and titanium dioxide don’t contain carbon molecules, which is the element that makes a compound organic. Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, are often termed “organic” because the most common chemical compounds contain carbon.

However, sunscreens don’t only contain active, sun-protective ingredients. They also contain a range of other ingredients, from water and oils to fragrances and tinting properties, that may affect their appearance, feel and scent. If you prefer using products that have been manufactured according to organic practices, prioritizing the use of ingredients that haven’t been farmed with synthetic pesticides, fertilizers or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), it’s important to look specifically for certified organic labels from the USDA.

—
Photo Credit: MEDIAIMAG / Shutterstock.com