The Limitations And Dangers Of Using A Topical Sunscreen

There are drawbacks to the use of sunscreen. Most topical sunscreens help block or absorb UVB rays, but do little to filter out UVA rays. UVB causes sunburn, but UVA penetrates deeper into the skin and most likely does more damage than UVB. In fact, UVA rays not only damage DNA, but also harm other structures in skin such as collagen and elastin, leading to many of the negative effects of sunlight—including aging—without the visual signs of burning! This means that even with the use of most sunscreens you are still vulnerable; even worse, you may be sustaining damage in the sun without even realizing it!

Furthermore, SPF (Sun Protection Factor) only characterizes UVB protection, not a sunscreen's ability to protect from UVA rays. Topical sunscreen manufacturers may make "broad spectrum" claims or state that a sunscreen protects from both UVB and UVA rays, but the level of UVA coverage is unknown because UVA protection is not quantified AT ALL by SPF. In other words, a sunscreen may be listed as SPF 60 but may or may not provide any protection from UVA rays. Consequently, you may think you are fully protecting yourself with a high SPF, which leads you to be in the sun longer and actually do more severe damage to your skin via UVA exposure!

It has been clinically shown that the majority of topical sunscreens break down in the sun. But not only do common sunscreen components including avobenzone, oxybenzone, dioxybenzone, octocrylene, and others lose their effectiveness when exposed to the sun, they are actually unstable—breaking down and creating free radicals and reactive oxygen species. These harmful effects have been demonstrated in many studies, demonstrating the harmful effects of photo-excited sunscreen ingredients on living tissue and implicating these chemicals as potential photocarcinogens!

Similarly, Vitamin A (retinal) and Vitamin A derivatives (including retinol and retinyl palmitate) in topical sunscreens have also been shown to be photo-unstable. Approximately half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products contain Vitamin A or its derivatives, which research has recently revealed may actually increase the chances of developing cancerous skin cells.

Potentially, sunscreen could actually be contributing to the damage of the very skin it was intended to protect! Warning: This also applies to lotions and cosmetics that contain sunscreen and/or Vitamin A.

Some of the ingredients in topical sunscreens penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream. These dangerous ingredients can cause unintended effects, including interfering with the body's natural hormone systems.

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), oxybenzone can be a hormone disruptor; its detection in pregnant women correlates with lower baby birth weight. Furthermore, according to the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., about 9% of the oxybenzone applied to skin soaks through it into the bloodstream. Sunscreens also commonly contain many structurally and functionally similar chemicals to oxybenzone, including dioxybenzone and other benzene derivatives, which act in a similar manner to oxybenzone in the body.

Some of the potentially toxic chemicals in sunscreens include:

• Avobenzone (Parsol 1789, Eusolex 9020, Escalol 517)
• Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3, Eusolex 4360, Escalol 567)
• Dioxybenzone (benzophenone-8)
• Octocrylene
• Sulisobenzone (benzophenone-4)
• Phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid (ensulizole)
• Homosalate
• Cinoxate
• PABA (4-Aminobenzoic acid, para-aminobenzoic acid)
• Padimate O (OD-PABA, octyldimethyl PABA, Escalol 507)
• Trolamine salicylate

A more recent trend has been towards "natural" topical sunscreens containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. One aesthetic problem, however, is that they do not absorb into the skin very well, resulting in a white-looking film when they are rubbed onto the skin. In response, manufacturers have started utilizing micronized (industrially-created to be ultra-fine) zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These nanoparticles are more easily absorbed into the skin and don't appear as white when applied. The problem is that they are also more easily absorbed into the blood stream and may have serious health concerns. Be careful to avoid micronized zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which researchers increasingly believe may have adverse health implications.