In 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration told sunscreen manufacturers that has safety concerns about 12 ingredients that give the protective effect of so-called chemical creams and sprays. One that has caused the greatest concern among researchers and consumer advocates is that oxybenzone volt.
According to studies, it can upset the balance of hormones in such a way that it can increase the risk of cancer and lead to shorter pregnancies and lower testosterone levels in adolescent boys. Oxybenzone has also been found in amniotic fluid and breast milk.
The paper says that now oxybenzone as an ingredient is largely not used by manufacturers, although they usually cannot achieve an SPF (sun protection) above 50 without adding it, so it can still be found in popular brands. However, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the proportion of chemical sunscreen products containing oxybenzone on the market has decreased from 60% in 2019 to 13% this year.
In addition to oxybenzone, there are other questionable ingredients in sunscreens, such as homosalate and avobenzone, which are also known as endocrine disruptors. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in addition to cancer and fertility problems, he linked endocrine disruptors to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In the United States, manufacturers of sunscreen creams use homosalate in concentrations of up to 15%, while in the European Union the limit is 0.5%.
In fact, on top of all that According to research published in 2021, some popular sunscreens containing octocrylene tested positive for benzophenone, a possible carcinogen. German chemical manufacturer BASF told sunscreen makers later that year that it would stop supplying octocrylene after hearing growing concerns about it.
According to the newspaper, it’s also a problem the American regulatory authority has so far not done much in the matter of stricter regulation of the ingredients of sunscreens, for example, has not yet approved new, alternative ingredients, but stricter information obligations are not required from manufacturers in the case of existing ingredients. Although in 2020, the FDA published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that
the ingredients of sunscreen enter the bloodstream after just one use and can remain in our body for up to 21 days. According to the study, oxybenzone and homosalate remained in the body the longest.
Safety concerns aside, the 12 FDA-labeled ingredients primarily protect against sunburn-causing UVB rays. In the USA, avobenzone and the mineral zinc are currently considered the best ingredients for UVA protection. Until the new ingredients for sunscreens are accepted in the USA, consumers are turning to mineral sunscreens. Popular versions, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, block the sun’s rays on the skin. Zinc oxide is a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which means it blocks UVA and UVB rays, the article states. True, there are concerns about them, mainly that they are more difficult to spread on the skinso many users complain that it looks like a ghost after it.
White ghost here or there, Douglas Grossman, co-director of the Melanoma Center at the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute advises people to use mineral sunscreen. The interviewed experts also highlight that
an SPF above 30 does not provide significantly more protection, whether it is a chemical or mineral-based sunscreen. SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks 98%, and a higher SPF requires higher concentrations of ingredients.
The FDA has recommended that prohibit sun lotion manufacturers from marketing products marked with an SPF value higher than 60.
Cover image: Getty Images
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