The Hidden Dangers of Sunscreen and How to Protect Yourself
Ocean waves crash against the shore as smells of bacon waft into your bedroom. Outside the seagulls are already fighting over bread crumbs and half-eaten fries. A few people have started setting up umbrellas and chairs on the beach. The scent of sunscreen hits your nose as you eagerly change into your swimsuit.
Beach trips become inevitable as the weather gets warmer and the sun shines brighter. But your skin isn’t used to the sun’s harsh rays from the dark winter months. You’re vulnerable, and if you aren’t careful, you could easily get sunburnt.
Applying sunscreen is better than getting burnt, but slathering your skin with sunscreen isn’t without its faults either. What’s little known is popular sunscreen brands such as Coppertone, Neutrogena, Banana Boat, Aveeno and more contain harmful and toxic ingredients.
The hidden dangers of modern-day sunscreen are real, but hope for healthy, shiny bronze skin is not lost. Below I’ll expose the unknown dangers in sunscreen and how you can protect yourself.
Oxybenzone
While sunscreen has protected millions of Americans for decades, it’s also been the source of brand new issues still hidden to the public’s eye. Oxybenzone is one of the most common and infamous chemicals found in today’s commercial sunscreens.
The purpose of oxybenzone is to absorb UV light before it can damage your skin and cause sunburns. The issue is its reputation as an endocrine disruptor. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that mimic certain hormones in the body- your estrogen and testosterone levels become the victim.
Oxybenzone’s primary side effect is increases in estrogen, the hormone known for regulating sexual development in females. This increase in estrogen also leads to decreases in testosterone, the dominating sex hormone found in males. As a result, oxybenzone causes early puberty in girls, low sperm count and infertility in males, and increases the risk for hormone-related cancers.
Octinoxate
Octinoxate is also found in popular sunscreens. It too has negative effects on the body’s hormonal system, but it doesn’t stop there. This chemical is found in other cosmetic products such as shampoo, lipstick, nail polish, and other skin creams too.
Octinoxate shouldn’t be exposed to children of any age, but that doesn’t mean that it’s safe for adults either. There are “safe levels” for companies to follow on how much adults can be exposed to octinoxate, but these regulations are meaningless. In adults, octinoxate has been found in the body at levels 16x higher than recommended safety levels of consumption.
Benzene
Benzene is a popular chemical that’s linked to cancer formation. The weird part with this chemical is that manufacturers have insisted that benzene was never an intended ingredient to be found in sunscreen. Manufacturers claim benzene made its way into sunscreen from the manufacturing process as a by-product of other active ingredients mixing together.
Substances that are applied to your skin, i.e. sunscreen, are absorbed and end up seeping into your bloodstream. Benzene is correlated to blood cancers such as leukemia and anemia, and it’s noticed in California as one of many reproductive toxins.
Homosalate
Homosalate, a dangerous toxic chemical, and like octinoxate, benzene and oxybenzone, it’s known to disfigure hormones.
It ramps up estrogen production and is notorious for growth of breast cancer cells by more than 350%. Furthermore, this chemical can be found in the body weeks after a single application.
In addition to causing cancer, homosalate increases the amount of pesticides entering the body.
Sunscreen Destroys Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are powerhouses when it comes to stabilizing the Earth’s atmosphere. They consume up to one third of the world’s carbon dioxide and produce half of the world’s oxygen.
If you need any more reason to beware the wicked chemicals found in commercial sunscreens, know this: sunscreen plays a large part in destroying ocean life, notably the vulnerable coral reefs.
As beach-goers play in the waves, sunscreens washes off their body. The chemicals from sunscreen then collect on coral reefs around the world, causing this fragile ecosystem to bleach and die. Without coral reefs and other sea life, the world takes one step closer to a destabilized and volatile ecosystem.
The dangers of sunscreen haven’t been a stranger to everyone. Hawaii banned over-the-counter sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate after recognizing their dangerous effects. This law went into effect Jan 1, 2021 and has generated awareness about the danger of these chemicals ever since.
How to Protect Yourself
Buy Mineral-Based Sunblock
First, pitch your old sunscreen. Chemical sunscreens, as described with the above ingredients, cause hormonal issues and lead to long-term health problems. Check the active ingredients on the sunscreen and other cosmetic products you use and do your research.
Next, invest in natural, mineral-based sunblock. These sunscreens form a physical barrier on the skin that blocks the sun without nasty chemicals. A quick search for a list of some mineral sunblocks led me to this list of the 15 best mineral sunscreens.
For those who want to know exactly what’s being put into their bodies, there’s many DIY sunscreen recipes that’ll protect you from the scorching sun this summer.
Build a Base
People have lived for thousands if not millions of years without using sunscreen. Sunscreen should be your last resort.
The natural way to protect yourself from the sun is already built in to your body. Expose your skin to the sun as often as you can to build up resistance (and get a nice tan).
Gradual exposure over time is hands-down the best way to protect yourself against the sun and eliminate the need for sunscreen altogether.
Wherever you find yourself this summer, I wish you many bright sunny days and a golden-bronze tan!
