The Benefits of Sunscreen and ingredient safety
Summer is in full swing, the pools are open, and we are enjoying more time outdoors in the sun.
Any conversation on sunscreen must start with acknowledging that there is robust evidence that it prevents skin cancer. Yet, all sunscreens are NOT created equal; some sunscreens could be damaging to our health.
Melanoma is one of the deadliest cancers that occurs when pigment-producing cells—known as melanocytes—mutate and become cancerous. Some of our patients, including my Dad, have been diagnosed with Melanoma. And believe me, it’s not something to fool around with! To learn more about Melanoma, click HERE.
Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed 14 of the 16 chemicals found in sunscreens from its GRASE (generally accepted as safe and effective) category.
The first thing I’d like you to do, is to go get all of your sunscreen products, and see if they appear on THIS LIST of Healthy Sunscreen products. To understand the hazard score (Green, yellow or red) click HERE.
Sunburns
Sunburns are more dangerous than many people realize and can have drastic consequences.
The statistics are frightening: Suffering one or more blistering sunburns during childhood more than doubles your chances of developing potentially-deadly melanoma later in life. Recent research shows that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
In addition to cancerous growths, sun damage can cause aesthetic damages as well. Research has repeatedly shown that up to 90% of sagging, wrinkling, and dark spots is a result of how much sun exposure you’ve sustained. One study in particular found that UV exposure is responsible for 80% of visible facial aging signs.
What really happens when your skin is exposed to the sun’s rays? A sunburn is your skin’s response to the sun’s UV radiation—when your skin is sunburned, it’s an indication that severe damage has been done. Let’s take a look at exactly what happens to your skin when it gets burned.
What’s the science behind sunburns?
The sun puts off both UVB and UVA rays. UVB rays are shorter and are responsible for the development of skin cancer. UVA rays are longer and penetrate deeper into the skin; this type of radiation is responsible for wrinkles, sagging, and other sings of aging.
When your skin is exposed to UV radiation, the body triggers a defense mechanism. Our skin contains cells called melanocytes, which are tasked with producing a pigment called melanin. Melanin absorbs UV light, then dissipates it as heat; think of melanin as the body’s natural sunscreen. When your skin senses sun damage, the body sends melanin into surrounding cells in an effort to shield them from further harm.
People with darker skin have more melanin at their disposal, while those with pale skin are quicker to burn. A sunburn is the skin’s response to severe UV damage, but it’s not only red skin that you should be wary of; any change in the color of your skin is an sign of sun damage—even that golden tan you crave. Whether you’ve tanned or gotten a severe red burn, UV radiation has damaged the DNA in your skin cells. Any type of damage can lead to skin cancer, so it’s important to wear sun protection at all times.
When UV radiation strikes the skin, it can damage the DNA in your cells. Once a cell has received too much radiation, it sacrifices itself to prevent damage in surrounding cells. When your body senses damage it launches a counterattack, sending surpluses of blood to the area to help improve healing; it’s during this time that inflammation flares, which can cause skin sensitivity and pain.
This is the case for mild sunburns—if you experience a severe sunburn, the consequences are worse. If you’ve been overexposed to UV radiation, the skin may blister; these little pockets of skin form protective bubbles over the tissue and fill with liquid.
What are the Symptoms of a Severe Sunburn?
A severe sunburn causes a host of symptoms, which are indicative of your body’s efforts to repair the damage caused by the burn. Common sunburn symptoms and signs include:
Blisters
Red, warm skin at the site of the burn
Itching
After exposure to UV radiation, your skin may turn red in as little as 30 minutes; the burn will continue to develop for 24 to 72 hours following, and it’s during this time that pain is typically most severe.
Sunburned skin is hot to the touch, may itch, and certainly painful. The immediate effects of a sunburn are unpleasant to say the least, but sunburned skin is more likely to incur skin damage; excessive sun exposure can also increase the risk of skin cancer.
Does Sunscreen Expire?
The FDA requires over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen to remain stable and effective for three years, but there’s no guarantee on its effectiveness thereafter; expiry labels are only mandated for products that have not demonstrated proof of such stable, sustainable strength.
That means a sunscreen product that does not have an expiration date should be considered expired three years after purchase.
Why does my skin peel after a Sunburn?
If your skin begins peeling after a sunburn, it’s because your body is attempting to get rid of damaged cells that could become cancerous. When the body registers severe damage, all those cells are sacrificed—essentially, your skin cells die off in mass to be replaced by new, healthy skin cells.
How do I prevent Sunburn?
The confidence sunscreen gives us could be one reason why skin cancer rates are rising, particularly among older generations. Sunscreen emboldens us to spend longer in the Sun than we would otherwise.
Talking to patients, it seems people tend to not reapply sunscreen regularly when outdoors, which we need to do. The chemicals act as a sink for UV energy, and they’re not inexhaustible.
The BEST way to prevent a sunburn is to limit your sun exposure. The following methods can help keep your skin safe from UV rays:
Steer clear of midday sun
The sun is its strongest during the hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Try to stay indoors as much as possible and stick to shady areas if you must be outside.
Wear protective clothing
Keep your skin safe from the sun’s damaging rays with protective clothing, including wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, and clothing made from sun protective fabric.
Apply (and reapply) sunscreen
Always wear broad spectrum sunscreen, whatever the weather outside. Simple rule of thumb: Don’t leave the house until you’ve applied appropriate SPF. Broad spectrum solutions are FDA-approved to protect against both UVA and UVB rays, offering you the best available protection.
How do Sunscreens work?
Two types of UV filters can be used for sunscreen - organic and inorganic.
Inorganic UV filters like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (which are FDA endorsed and broadly considered safe) reflect and scatter UV radiation away from the skin. Physical sunscreens create a physical barrier to the sun with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide.
The most commonly used sunscreens are known as organic filters, which absorb UV radiation and convert it into safer radiation.
Chemical sunscreen ingredients (non-physical) penetrate the skin and absorb UV radiation through their chemical bonds. They slowly break down and release heat as a by-product of their chemical interaction with ultraviolet light. This heat energy then dissipates through and away from the skin.
Chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation into the skin and convert it into safer radiation by using chemical filters — such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, and homosalate — to convert UV light into heat. These particles are innately unstable and can oxidize, making them less effective and significantly increasing the risk of sun damage.
It’s long been established that some organic filters are absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. This alone doesn’t mean sunscreen is unsafe, but there is growing focus on the potential adverse effects of the most common UV filter worldwide: oxybenzone.
Oxybenzone has been implicated in possible endocrine HORMONE disruption and can cause irritation to the skin, especially for those with sensitive skin. It's considered a hazardous eye irritant and, as an allergen, is also known to cause skin allergies. As a hormone disruptor to coral, it also causes hormone disruption in humans, affecting estrogen production particularly in women and testosterone production in men.
The European Commission, which reviews ingredient safety in Europe, recently published a preliminary finding that both oxybenzone and homosalate are unsafe for use at current levels. Not to mention, that chemicals like oxybenzone can act as endocrine disruptors and cause sex change in fish, reduced growth or egg output.
The Bottom Line
Until there is definitive research on the potential effects of UV filters absorbed into our bodies, or alternatives that don’t contain ingredients associated with health risks, the consensus among experts is that we need to shield ourselves whenever we’re exposed to the Sun.
The healthiest way to do so – for both ourselves and for wildlife – is with clothing, finding shade and avoiding midday Sun. But for times that isn’t possible, we should both wear sunscreen and must apply it properly.
SPF values on product labels continue to be problematic, with a continuous stream of new reports showing that independent testing finds actual SPF values are significantly lower than what is on the label. While not a new concern, consumers should be wary of SPF value claims, especially SPF numbers over 50+, and should not use sunscreen to prolong their time in the sun.
Just about three quarters of the more than 1,800 products evaluated for this year’s guide did not provide adequate sun protection or included ingredients linked to harm.
As for which sunscreens are the safest, you can check out the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website and download the EWG’s Guide to Sunscreen, HERE. There are several categories such as best sunscreens for children, etc. Here you will find a list of brands that contain safer ingredients, making it easy to choose a product that is the best fit for you.
If you plan to spend time in the sun this summer, make sure the sunscreen you apply is benzene-free and double-check the expiration date to make sure it has not expired, or older than 3-years old. Better yet, engage in a combination of sun protection methods: hat, umbrella, plenty of breaks, and time in the shade, along with benzene-free sunscreen.
I hope this has helped you understand sunburns and sunscreens in more detail, please remember the (5) Essentials we talk about at Ferguson Life Health Centers…
Mindset
Nerve Supply
Nutrition
Exercise
MINIMIZING TOXINS