Is Your Sunscreen Really Safe For You?
With the Earth’s Ozone layer almost completely depleted in numerous parts of the world, sunscreens have become a necessity to protect oneself from the various forms of skin cancers encountered today.
The importance of sun protection is common knowledge today as thousands of companies come up with new sunscreens every day.
The recommended application method mentioned on almost all sunscreens is that it is to be applied half an hour before sun exposure. Hence most of us apply it numerous times a day, in copious amounts.
According to a new study, some of the ingredients of your favorite sun sunscreens have been found to get absorbed in the bloodstream rather than just sitting on the skin, after just a 1- day application.
The study was published in the JAMA network journal on Monday, by Murali K. Matta, Ph.D., Robbert Zusterzeel, MD, Ph.D., MPH, and Nageswara R. Pilli, Ph.D. and has since then raised many questions about the sunscreens in use these days.
“The study findings raise many important questions about sunscreen and the process by which the sunscreen industry, clinicians, specialty organizations, and regulatory agencies evaluate the benefits and risks of this topical OTC medication”, said the author at one point.
What is alarming about this discovery is that these levels surpass the safe threshold established by the FDA that is of 0.5 ng/mL.
“The 0.5-ng/mL threshold is based on the principle that the level would approximate the highest plasma level below which the carcinogenic risk of any unknown compound would be less than 1 in 100 000 after a single dose.”
This leaves one thinking, Is my sunblock actually promoting Cancer rather than preventing it?
The study included 24 participants, with a mean age of 35 years. Each participant was given some different form of sunscreen including lotions, creams, and sprays.
After a period of one week, when they were tested, active ingredients like avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule was found in their bloodstreams in quantities that were far exceeding the acceptable dose by the FDA.
To find out the effects of these potentially harmful chemicals in our blood, we must know what these chemicals actually are first.
Avobenzone is a dibenzoylmethane derivative that is used to absorb ultraviolet light over a wide range of wavelengths. However, there is no previous plasma concentration data for this particular ingredient.
Oxybenzone is an organic compound found in numerous flowering plants as well as human breast milk. Besides its use as a sunscreen, It is used in various plastic products, hair sprays, and even cosmetics. However, some studies have suggested its potential involvement in Endocrine Disorder.
Octocrylene is an ester that is used in cosmetics other than its use as a sunscreen. It has shown to prevent direct DNA damage from the sun. However, there is no previous data for Octocrylene’s plasma concentrations.
Ecamsule is an organic compound that is added to sunscreens to filter out UVA rays. Findings of a study regarding its absorption in the body show that the systemically absorbed dose of [14C]-Mexoryl SX (Ecamsule) was less than 0.1%.
Absolutely not.
Even though the finding suggests a high absorption of potentially harmful active ingredients into the bloodstream, we all know that direct exposure to the sun is definitely cancerous.
With hundreds dying due to Melanoma every day, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
According to the American Academy of Dermatologists:
“These sunscreen ingredients have been used for several decades without any reported internal side effects in humans. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and dermatologists see the impact it has on patients’ lives every day. Unprotected exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays is a major risk factor for skin cancer.”
Is Your Sunscreen Really Safe For You?
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