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Summer is finally here, people are taking holidays and jetting off somewhere exotic and hot. Most will be using sunscreen, though unlikely to know the real facts about it. You might have many questions about sunscreen and sun safety such as:
How to say safe in the sun?
Which ingredients in sunscreen are harmful? And
How long is safe to stay in the sun?
Or you might not have these questions at all. I definitely think you should ask them though. Chemical sunscreen has become controversial because of the ingredients in it. Some governments banned chemical sunscreen because of the harm to sea life. More on that later.
Continue reading, and you will find out which ingredients in sunscreen are harmful and how to stay safe in the sun.
On this page you will find:
- Benefits of sun exposure
- Health effects of sun exposure
- How long is safe to stay in the sun
- Should babies be kept out of direct sunlight
- The effects on the environment
- How to stay safe in the sun
- Great mineral sunscreen to try for face and body
Now this is important.
The sun has many benefits for your overall health.
Benefits of sun exposure
The health benefits of sunlight include providing us with light and warmth. Spending time in the sun is beneficial. Sunlight promotes the natural production of vitamin D in your body. Vitamin D helps the absorption of Calcium which helps maintain healthy bones. This vitamin strengthens your immune system helping your body fight disease.
However, sunlight has some negative health effects.
Health health effects of sun exposure
The health effects of sun exposure depends on how long you stay out in the sun.
The sun emits ultraviolet or UV light. UV light is a type of electromagnetic radiation. UV light is what makes those flickering blue poster lights glow in the dark and what gives you that beautiful sun tan. You may already know that too much exposure to UV light causes damage to your skin and eyes.
Even your suntan is your body’s reaction to harmful UV rays.
It is your body’s natural defence to sunlight exposure. When exposed to UV radiation, your body’s skin cells produce melanin. Melanin absorbs UV light and to some extent protects the skin from further damage. Melanin is what makes your skin darker when exposed to the sun’s rays.
When there is too much exposure to UV light, this overwhelms your body’s natural defences. This leads to a toxic reaction resulting in sunburn. As stated earlier, too much UV light causes skin cell damage leading to random mutations i.e. skin cancer.
Please be aware that UV light does not just come from the sun. If you use sunbeds, the same applies.
So how long is safe to stay in the sun?
How long is safe to stay in the sun?
The time you should spend in the sun to get the full benefits depends on your skin type. For lighter skin types – it is safe to stay in the sun for 10-15 minutes per day between April and September. This provides sufficient year-round vitamin D and minimises the risks of sunburn and skin cancer. For darker skin types, 25-40 minutes is enough.
It is also advised to wear toxin free sunscreen even at minimal levels of UV exposure.
Should Babies Be Kept Out of Direct Sunlight?
The NHS recommends that you keep your baby cool and away from direct sunlight.
So what do all the sunscreen labels mean? What is the difference between UVA and UVB?
UVA vs UVB: Levels explained and how to protect yourself
UVA – longer wavelength penetrating deep into the skin. This is what contributes to premature ageing of the skin. – A for ageing.
UVB – shorter wavelength penetrating the surface of the skin causing sunburn. B for Burn.
Both can cause cancer.
SPF – sun protection factor. SPF ranges from 15 to 50. You should know that SPF only refers to the likelihood of the sunscreen to absorb UVB rays, not UVA. The SPF number is a guide to how long your skin will take to redden in the sun. This is compared to someone not using any sunscreen at all. If you have correctly applied sunscreen with SPF 30 this means it will take you 30 times longer to go red. Therefore, even if you have applied sunscreen, your skin can still burn. It will just take you longer to go red.
UVA rating – most sunscreens will have a star rating from 1 to 5. The British Skin Foundation recommends to use sunscreen with a rating of at least 4.
What about a cloudy day?
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UV radiation penetrates through the clouds. This means that you should still make sure you stay safe in the sun.
Most of us will stay safe in the sun by applying sunscreen for face and body. However, many don't know how much sunscreen to apply.
Make sure you use sunscreen correctly to ensure it is effective against UVA and UVB. The British Skin Foundation recommends that you apply an equivalent to a full shot glass of sunscreen. Do not forget that when you re-apply sunscreen (and you should) then use the same amount.
And there is something else you need to be aware of when it comes to sunscreen.
Many sunscreen products claim that you can apply sunscreen once a day and still protect yourself from UV rays. For your information, the British Skin Foundation does not recommend a single application of sunscreen. So stay safe in the sun and apply sunscreen regularly.
So which ingredients in sunscreen are harmful?
Uncovering the real facts about chemical sunscreen
There are two types of sunscreen to look out for.
- Chemical sunscreen, also known as organic or synthetic sunscreen. The most common type of sunscreen. Some of the chemicals used in sunscreen are:
- Oxybenzone
- Avobenzone
- Octisalate
- Octocrylene
- Homosalate
- Octinoxate
2. Mineral sunscreen or physical sunscreen. The common chemicals used in mineral sunscreen are:
- Titanium dioxide
- Zinc oxide
Keep reading to find out at what these chemicals in sunscreen mean.
1. Oxybenzone – or Benzophenone-3 is a common organic UV filter found in sunscreens and cosmetics. It helps protect the skin by absorbing and dissipating harmful UVB and some UVA radiation.
2. Octocrylene is a common ingredient in sunscreens and cosmetics. Like oxybenzone, it helps protect against UVA and UVB rays.
This means that the restrictions before 2022 did not go far enough.
The reason?
Both Oxybenzone and Octocrylene were suspected of having endocrine-disrupting properties (ED). The endocrine system is a vital part of your body responsible for producing and releasing hormones. These chemical messengers organise bodily functions by carrying messages through your blood to organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues.
But that is not all...
Infertility, breast and prostate cancer, obesity, diabetes, memory and cardiovascular diseases are some side effects linked to ED action. The impact of endocrine disruptors is higher during the foetal stage, childhood, and puberty. The effects may show themselves even after decades.
Keep reading because you need to be aware of all the harmful ingredients in sunscreen.
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3. Avobenzone is another sunscreen ingredient. The FDA does not recognize avobenzone as generally safe and effective. However, it is still approved for use by the FDA up to 3% concentration as a UVA filter.
4. Octisalate is a non-mineral UV filter. The skin easily absorbs Octisalate. This means that the more sunscreen you apply the more octiscalate your skin absorbs. There is insufficient data to clearly state whether octisalate is safe and effective. This does not mean that the chemical is safe to use. The high levels of absorption by the body is also concerning.
You have to remember that you apply sunscreen many times during the day, especially when in the sun.
5. Homosalate used as another UV filter has many chemical names. This is clearly just to confuse you.
Homosalate is used in sunscreens and skincare products with SPF. This means that your SPF foundation and moisturiser may contain homosalate.
The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) concluded that it was not safe to use as a UV filter in cosmetic products up to a maximum of 10%. What this means is that before this decision, people were exposed to unsafe levels of this chemical in sunscreen. The SCCS reduced the permitted level to 0.5% homosalate. A significant reduction. This was due to potential endocrine disrupting properties of homosalate.
This means that using homosalate could impact on your hormones and lead to a number of health issues.
6. Octinoxate or Octyl methoxycinnamate is a chemical used in a number of cosmetic products including sunscreens and lip balms. Octinoxate absorbs harmful UVB rays protecting skin from sun damage.
Sounds promising.
However, there is a problem.
Studies on animals have reported oxctinoxate to have hormone disrupting effects.
The effects of chemical sunscreen on the environment
Not surprisingly many of the above ingredients in sunscreen harm aquatic life and are banned by some governments.
For example, avobenzone is banned by the government of Palau. This is because it is toxic to coral reef ecosystems.
It does make you wonder what effects it has on people...
It is interesting to know that many of the sunscreen and cosmetic products include at least one of the above chemicals of concern, despite the potential health effects. These toxic chemicals are still being used despite there being other organic natural ingredients available. This may be because it is much cheaper to produce than having to research and invent other, toxin free alternatives.
For example, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are considered much safer.
And there is more.
Over half of the chemicals in sunscreens have not been tested for their safety and are not regulated by any government body.
So the list of ingredients in sunscreen to avoid is as follows:
Oxybenzone
Avobenzone
Octisalate
Octocrylene
Homosalate
Octinoxate
Now that we know what ingredients in sunscreen to avoid let's review how to stay safe in the sun.
We have created a helpful list of sunscreens with chemicals to avoid.
How to stay safe in the sun?
To say safe in the sun you should follow the steps in this helpful Infographic.
Choose mineral sunscreen
Look out for mineral sunscreen, which includes titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Mineral sunscreens or physical sunscreens are not considered to be harmful. Mineral sunscreens work by reflecting the UV light and are not absorbed by your skin. Physical sunscreen is generally considered to be safe to use compared to chemical sunscreen. Physical sunscreen does not contain our list of ingredients in sunscreen to avoid.
A word of caution. Some mineral sunscreens do not have the basic protection.
Which? tested a number of mineral sunscreens. They found that four of the SPF 30 mineral-based sunscreens from Alba Botanica, Clinique, Hawaiian Tropic and Tropic Skincare - costing between £11.99 and £28 did not provide adequate the UV protection.
To be safe , I recommend that you check online for some reviews. Look at the Which? website, which contains many product reviews.
Or better yet, read my article about sunscreen!
Conclusion: Now you know about chemical sunscreens and mineral sunscreens what action will you take?
When people say "ignorance is bliss" I beg to differ. Knowledge is power.
No matter what sunscreen you choose, it is important to know the facts about sun exposure and which ingredients in sunscreen are harmful. This will surely help you make an informed choice when buying sunscreen.
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Great mineral sunscreen to try for face and body
Odylique Organic SPF30 Sun Screen
Why I like this organic sunscreen:
- sunscreen for sensitive skin
- vegan, hypoallergenic and eco-friendly
- non greasy and does not clog pores
- mineral sunscreen for face and body
Scence Natural Sun Screen
Why I like this organic sunscreen:
- non toxic sunscreen
- plastic free biodegradable packaging
- sunscreen for face and body
- mineral sunscreen
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