Over the years, we’ve been bombarded with the notion that if you venture into the sun without sunscreen, you’ll get skin cancer, and your skin will age faster. This is a reductionist way of thinking that doesn’t consider many other important factors, such as a person’s diet, the chemicals in the products they’re rubbing on their skin, the time and duration of exposure, location on the planet, time of year, time of day, and their skin pigment. Instead of considering all those factors, it’s much easier to say “sun bad,” and lead you to believe a sunscreen chemical cocktail is the only way to protect yourself.

The Skin Cancer Foundation, on its “All About Sunscreen” page, states the following:

“Experts recommend applying sunscreen to your entire body before you dress for the day.”

“Men, women, and children over six months of age should use sunscreen every day.”

“While physical sunscreens may be less likely to cause skin irritation than chemical sunscreens, both types have been tested as safe and effective.”

The Skin Cancer Foundation makes no distinction between chemical and non-chemical sunblock and instead says the best sunblock is the one you are most likely to use. Which for most people means the chemical cocktail in the aerosol can. If you want to read more from the “experts,” I provided the link to their page below (3).

Is Sunscreen Safe and Effective?

While sunscreen is indeed effective at protecting your skin from the sun, there are many other factors we need to consider. One of those factors is: do the positives outweigh the negatives? Do I trust the industry “experts” telling me the ingredients are safe? Do I need to keep spending my money on sunscreen to keep up with the recommendation of daily applications for the rest of my life?

The skin is the largest organ of the body. It is capable of dermal absorption, which means chemicals can go through the skin and into the body, damaging individual or groups of organs (1). While most studies have focused on chemical inhalation, not many have assessed skin exposure. Most studies also focus on industrial chemicals, and few focus on chemicals used in everyday life. One report from the CDC did find that over 90% of 2,500 people tested had Oxybenzone in their urine, a key ingredient in chemical sunscreen (8).

There isn’t money to be made in figuring out which of the chemicals we rub on our skin are causing us harm. There is far more money to be made in quickly determining an ingredient to be safe, getting a product to market, and keeping it on the market.

The permeability of skin — The speed and quantity of chemicals entering your bloodstream through application on your skin is contested, but we do know they are present.

Knowing that whatever I put on my skin is absorbed into my body means a safe bet for me is only to apply edible ingredients, regardless of what the “experts” say. And even that needs to be further distilled because the stuff that passes for edible these days is scary. I don’t eat pro-oxidative seed oils, and I don’t put them on my skin, either.

A Lack of FDA Regulation

In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a proposed rule to update regulatory requirements for most sunscreen products in the United States. Among its provisions, the proposal addresses sunscreen active ingredient safety and dosage forms. It also proposes updates to how products are labeled to make it easier for consumers to identify key product information.

The FDA permits certain OTC drugs to be marketed without approved new drug applications because they are generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE). Of the 16 currently marketed active ingredients in sunscreen, two are marked as GRASE, two are not, and the other 12 have insufficient safety data to determine (2).

I found nothing when I searched to see if the FDA had made any progress. What I did find were articles detailing opposition from the cosmetic industry and its lobbyists. No surprise there. Anytime a product's safety is in question, and a company is in danger of losing money, they aggressively roll out scare tactics and accusations, scolding anyone who dares question their experts’ results.

Conventional sunscreen companies say any bans on chemicals in their products are “pro-cancer” (8). Anyone who questions these chemicals and their safety is pro-cancer. Can we just pause at the ridiculousness of that statement? Does anyone really believe that?

They imply we will all get cancer unless they save us from the sun with their chemical cocktails.

Follow the Money

The market size for skin care products is expected to be $16.84 billion by 2027, so there is plenty of money for lobbying and defending their products from proposed bans.

In 2022 the Public Access to Sunscreen Coalition or PASS, a coalition of public health organizations, dermatologists, AND, wait for it, SUNSCREEN PRODUCT COMPANIES, spent over $360k on lobbying (9). To summarize their argument, they state the science of sunscreens is still evolving and that the data on whether sunscreen ingredients are harmful to humans or the environment is limited. Some of the corporate charter or supporting members of PASS include DeWolf Chemical Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., and Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry LLC (10).

All the money the sunscreen coalition spent on lobbying that we know about. Graphic obtained from opensecrets.org.

Come on, guys, don’t be so pessimistic; those chemical and pharmaceutical companies are just super passionate about helping people prevent skin cancer.

Now, let’s look at an example of where banning the sale of sunscreens containing harmful chemicals happened because there was a financial and economic incentive.

According to the U.S. National Park Service, 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen (although estimates are as high as 14,000 tons), enters reef areas yearly. Most of this is concentrated in popular snorkeling and scuba diving destinations. Studies have shown chemicals in sunscreen are toxic to marine life and corals, causing fish deformities, reduced reproductive success, and impaired health and death of coral (13).

If the chemicals in sunscreen are capable of killing marine life, what are those chemicals doing on your skin?

In January 2021, Hawaii banned distributing and selling products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, making it unlawful to sell or distribute any sunscreen containing those chemicals without a prescription. Taking effect in January 2023, it shall also be illegal to sell or distribute any sunscreen containing avobenzone and octocrylene (11). Other countries and cities that have enacted similar bans are Aruba, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Bonaire, Mexico, the Pacific nation of Palau, and Key West (12).

With the above-listed destinations having economies that rely heavily on tourists visiting their pristine coastlines and surrounding waters, it was in their financial best interest to act without the help of federal regulators like the FDA. There is no financial incentive to regulate the sunscreen you put on in your backyard or the Jersey Shore.

Other Factors and Observations

There is an association between consuming pro-inflammatory foods like seed oils and your skin being more susceptible to damage (14). Removing these foods may change your ability to tolerate the sun and be less likely to burn. Remove ultra-processed foods from your diet and observe how your skin reacts.

We know that too much of a good thing can be harmful, and you don’t want to overdo your sun exposure. However, you should not fear the sun. Regular exposure of bare skin to the sun has many health and mood benefits (4).

The benefits of sunlight and sun exposure include and are not limited to:

· Helps your body produce Vitamin D, essential for bone, blood, cell, and immune health.

· Morning sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm, helping you get to sleep and stay asleep.

· Some scientists believe the sun’s rays may shrink fat cells.

· Sunlight helps boost a chemical in your brain called serotonin, which having low levels of this chemical is associated with depression.

· Ultraviolet light may help ease the symptoms of skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and vitiligo.

· It may help prevent autoimmune disease by up-regulating cytokines and increasing T regulatory cell activity.

If you’re gradually increasing your exposure to the sun without getting burned, you will be far healthier than those who fear the sun and constantly lather chemicals on their skin. For an in-depth look at the emerging science of the benefits derived from the sun, click here.

Using your intuition, do you feel better when the sun hits your skin or when sitting inside under fluorescent lights? Intuition is also helpful in determining when you’ve had enough sun and should cover up or seek shade.

Safe Sun Exposure Without Chemical Sunscreen

There is no one size fits all prescription for the time you can spend in the sun without protection. The best thing you can do is start slow and avoid the sun during its peak hours of 10 AM to 2 PM. Even that can vary depending on the time of year and your distance from the equator. Use your best judgment.

As a redhead, I get my sun in the morning and later in the day. If I’m going to be under the sun longer than I can tolerate without sunblock, I cover up with a shirt and hat instead of sunscreen.

Using a hat and sun-shirt instead of sunscreen — Using a sun shirt and wide brim hat instead of chemical sunscreen. Thats me on the right. I put the shirt on just before reaching my limit of sun exposure for the time of day and year.

If you prefer sunscreen to protect yourself, there are far better options than aerosolized chemicals that harm human health and marine life. What sunscreens can put on their labels and their claims of “reef-friendly” or “all-natural” are not regulated, and you need to read the ingredients for yourself.

using mineral sunscreen while surfing in costa rica — If surfing in the morning or late afternoon, I don’t bother with a shirt or sunscreen. Surfing midday in Costa Rica I cover up and use a mineral sunblock on my face only.

Here is a great place to start if you want to find better sunblock:

https://haereticus-lab.org/protect-land-sea-certification-3/

Conclusion

Can the sun cause skin cancer? Absolutely, but if you respect the sun and your body, you can minimize your risk while experiencing the benefits.

The sun has been giving life to our planet for billions of years, and humans have thrived under the sun for tens of thousands of years. Despite what the experts say, I find it hard to believe that suddenly, the sun is causing an epidemic of skin cancer and that it has nothing to do with our ultra-processed food consumption, chemical skin products, and exposure to environmental toxins.

I often use intuition when deciding whether to follow a popular belief or opinion. My intuition tells me that maintaining reasonable exposure to the sun without burning is far better for me than covering myself in chemicals with names I can’t pronounce and don’t know the effects of on my body and the environment.

What does your intuition tell you?

Harnessing Natural Light: Rethinking Sunglasses Use in Morning and Evening Hours

Maximizing Health with Morning and Evening Sunlight: Insights from Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman

How To Navigate Diet and Nutrition Advice

Resources

1.https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/default.html#:~:text=Dermal%20absorption%20happens%20when%20a,include%20pesticides%20and%20organic%20solvents.

2.https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-advances-new-proposed-regulation-make-sure-sunscreens-are-safe-and-effective

3.https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/#:~:text=Men%2C%20women%20and%20children%20over,their%20skin%20is%20highly%20sensitive.

4.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/

5.https://suntribesunscreen.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-uncoated-non-nano-zinc-oxide/

6.https://haereticus-lab.org/protect-land-sea-certification-3/

7.https://www.surfrider.org/news/your-guide-to-reef-friendly-sunscreens-0?utm_campaign=Making%20Waves&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=263466459&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--WINpZTc324pGPjUstpYK_QMv9u25MJexi5IMZIrkNk69Wkglr_uV8cLaaKssRcP6imcbOByuqXb5rKiokjnrGlfgb2e77FirJzVmVbUIA80tQLbk&utm_content=263466459&utm_source=hs_email