Discussing Safe & Non-Toxic Sunscreen
Sunscreen is a daily step in nearly everyone's skincare routine. Growing up, I applied sunscreen only occasionally due to coming from European heritage and not getting sunburnt easily. As I got older, I was urged to use sunscreen more and more, but I was always concerned about the toxicity of it. Over New Years, I went camping with a few friends to the central coast of New South Wales. On one of the days it was unusually hot (also during the raging bushfires around us), and I borrowed some of my friend's sunscreen that she had in her bag. I had heard bits of information about the toxicity of sunscreen over the years, but in the situation, I knew I had to use some. This thought led me to be interested in the actual ingredients within sunscreen and to research more about them. The more I investigated, the more I found out that my concerns regarding it were not unfounded, and that's what I wanted to discuss more on today.
The Two Radiation Types
There are two kinds of UV radiation, UVA and UVB. UVB rays are mainly responsible for sunburn while UVA rays penetrate deeper into our skin and can cause long term damage. For these reasons, we must protect ourselves from these rays, but how we go about doing it is of integral importance.
Two kinds of sunscreen
Sunscreens are designed to protect us from UVA and UVB rays, harmful rays from the sun that cause skin cancer and a variety of other health complications. When it comes to sunscreen, there are two kinds of sunscreen readily available. One contains active ingredients that absorb harmful sun rays, while the other works to reflect it.
Chemical Sunscreens
Chemical sunscreen contains UV ray absorbing ingredients that absorb the radiation to stop it from penetrating the skin. These sunscreens use chemical components such as Oxybenzone, Octocrylene, 4-Methyl benzylidene camphor and Butyl Methoxy Dibenzoylmenthane. These are the sunscreens that leave minimal residue on the skin and absorb into the body. This is part of where the problem lies.
Physical Sunscreens
Physical sunscreens work differently to chemical sunscreens in that they use natural minerals to create a physical barrier on the skin, rather than actively absorbing the radiation rays like chemical sunscreen do. The most commonly used are known as organic filters, which absorb UV radiation and convert it into safer radiation.
Nothing New
There have been various well-known public figures that have come out against sunscreen use and highlighted the dangers of it. In 2016 I attended a talk on chemicals frequently used in skincare at my mother's clinic, run by Therese Kerr. What followed was an eye-opening presentation into the dangers of the majority of ingredients used in everyday cosmetics, fragrances and household products. She outlined many of the risks mentioned below and opened up about her daughter's struggle to conceive a baby due to continually being piled with these unsafe products.
Another one of these advocates against unhealthy sunscreens is celebrity chef, Pete Evans. Pete shared his views on sunscreen a few years back and was attacked by mainstream media for sharing his 'controversial' opinion. A few years down the track and mainstream science have caught up on the ideas that Evans was sharing. The FDA shared a study determining that sunscreens contain a high level of toxins. The study found that all of the chemicals in sunscreen had higher concentrations in the blood that the FDA's threshold, one particular ingredient had a concentration that was 360 times greater than what the FDA approves. Several of these chemicals have been linked to hormone-disruptive disorders and kidney failure.
Dangers of Chemical Sunscreens
The FDA is now proposing significant changes in how sunscreen ingredients are evaluated for safety, as many of the ingredients found in sunscreens have not been significantly tested to determine whether these ingredients that penetrate our bodies can cause endocrine disruption, cancer and other harmful factors. The FDA has approved two ingredients for sunscreens which are Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. For 12 other ingredients frequently used in commercial sunscreens, the FDA has said that there is insignificant data to determine whether they are safe for us to use. In the study, they found that 14 of the 16 chemicals found in sunscreens were not 'generally accepted as safe and effective'.
The Bad & The Ugly.
There is a variety of chemicals used in mainstream sunscreens that have shown reason to be concerned. Ingredients such as Oxybenzone, octinoxate (octyl methoxycinnamate), homosalate, octisalate, octocrylene, and avobenzone, are some of them. Below we will break down some of the research into why these ingredients are detrimental, although it is essential to note that there are others as well. There is so much evidence for each of the ingredients which warrant further research, so I've broken down some of the most shocking.
Oxybenzone
Potentially the worst in the commonly used sunscreen ingredients, Oxybenzone has shown that the absorption of this chemical may actually do more harm than good, and a call for substantial revaluation due to the health concerns attributed to it. Research has shown in studies to affect the size of mammary glands and has even been detected in breast milk. This means it could also be in breast tissue, affecting the development, function and health. Lab studies conducted by the FDA have shown chemical UV filters such as Oxybenzone mimic hormones.
Parabens and Phthalates
As many of the ingredients in conventional sunscreens are endocrine disruptors, aka chemicals that intefere with our hormones. High-level exposure to Phthalates has found to disrupt the development of male genitals, which could lead to reduced sperm count or increased risk of testicular cancer. Phthalates are also used in a variety of other cosmetics, such as soaps, shampoos and hair sprays.
Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA) and Trolamine Salicylate
The FDA has found that both these ingredients have more harmful factors than they do beneficial elements, and has proposed classifying them as unsafe. PABA was shown to inhibit thyroxine, the primary hormone secrets by the thyroid gland. Decreased levels of thyroxine have shown to lead to hypothyroidism which can induce fatigue, weight gain and muscle weakness. PABA derivatives appear to be anti-oestrogenic, meaning they suppress and disrupt oestrogen pathways. UV radiation is more likely to damage DNA in the presence of PABA, which can increase the risks of skin cancer.
Octinoxate (Octyl methoxycinnamate)
Octinoxate is another widely used ingredient within chemical sunscreens. It has shown to increase cell proliferation in cells that grow in response to oestrogen production, an established risk factor in the development and progression of breast cancer. It affects other hormone systems as well, such as thyroid hormones in blood serum. Octinoxate has shown to alter the reproductive systems of female offspring, with significantly lowered hormone levels. This has been associated with infertility and miscarriages. When it comes to males, all dose level exposure has shown to reduce sperm count.
Homosalate
Homosalate has shown to impact the body's hormone systems, in particular the oestrogen system. In human breast cancer cells (which grow and multiply in response to oestrogen), homosalate exposure led to 3.5 times more cell grown and multiplication. Another worrying finding is that homosalate has shown to enhance the number of pesticides we absorb through our skin as well.
The Many Problems With Titanium Dioxide
Titanium Dioxide is, on many sites, listed as a safe alternative to other chemical ingredients in sunscreens. I spoke with my sister Maša a few months ago when she was searching for some makeup alternatives that didn't feature this ingredient. When I was writing this article, I remembered the name and her aversion to the chemical and wanted to do some more research into whether this ingredient was in fact safe. What I found definitely proved against it. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has designated Titanium Dioxide as a carcinogen, due to multiple studies that found it increased the chances of lung cancers when it was inhaled. Due to its ultra-fine nature, titanium dioxide can be inhaled and its particles reach the alveoli in the lungs, potentially causing lung inflammation and cell mutations, amongst many other concerns.
Alternatives
Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are usually the only two sunscreen ingredients described as being safe; however, given the dangers listed above concerning Titanium Dioxide, it's safe to say that Zinc Oxide is the only thing I would put on my skin. I've looked for some safe sunscreens that only use zinc oxide as an active ingredient, and compiled my favourites below.
I hope today’s article has given some concerning further insight into what is for many a daily wellness practice. It is important to be viligant and check the ingredients of the comsetics you use, just like you would the food you put into your body.
With wellness,
Aleksandar
Banner image outtake from ZARIĆ Jewellery x Welluvia, shot by Varsity Club
Photo of hibiscus shot by Aleksandar Zarić for Welluvia
Research referenced throughout, sources one & two.
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