Cancer in Sunscreen

Summer time is coming and the pools will be opening soon.  It is time for sunscreen, but people need to be careful on what sunscreen they rub on. Personally, I don’t wear any.  I don’t feel the need.  I don’t get sunburned, and I really am not sure if the sun causes skin cancer.  I’m starting to believe it is all the lotions people rub on their skin, along with the body washes and soaps people wash up with that are contributing to skin cancer. It is recommended to wear sunscreen to prevent Melanoma, but what if it is the sunscreen causing it?   I grew up by the swimming pools and the beaches.  I didn’t wear much sunscreen growing up, and I don’t have skin cancer.  I also didn’t really wear a lot of lotion either.  Plus, my mom stuck to regular bar soap.  She is allergic to fragrances, so she has to be careful in what she buys.  So I didn’t get a lot of exposure growing up to items with a lot of fragrances, and toxic ingredients in them, either. 


I understand everyone has different sensitivities when it comes to the sun.  Some people get sun poisoning after long term exposure to the sun.  So with this being said I did a little research on sunscreen and found that there is concern for ingredients used in sunscreen that might be contributing to cancer.  Here are just a few ingredients that you need to check to see if it is listed on your sunscreen.

• Avobenzone:  Even though this ingredient is rated as a low hazard and given a rating of two on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) website it is restricted for using in cosmetics in Japan.  There is some concern that it might contribute to cancer. It is also toxic to the organ system. 

• SD Alcohol 1: This ingredient is also used in food, and as a food additive.  There is evidence that this ingredient might contribute to cancer. There is also evidence that this ingredient is toxic to the liver, the sense organ, and the gastrointestinal.  
• Tocopherol: Even though this is rated a one, and it is of low concern it has been proven to create tumors on animals when high doses are administered.
• Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate): With a score of eight on the EWG’s website this carries a high concern for toxicity.  Canada has restricted the use of this ingredient in it’s cosmetics. It has been proven to cause tumors in animal studies using very low doses. There is also evidence this ingredient can contribute to cancer. It is also toxic to the skin.
• Cyclopentasiloxane:  This ingredient is listed on the Environment Canada Domestic Substance list as being toxic to the organ system. There is some concern of it contributing to cancer. Animal studies have shown tumor formation, and endocrine disruption when given moderated doses. This ingredient is also toxic to the nervous system.  
• Tocopherol Acetate: There is not only a small concern that this ingredient contributes to cancer, but there is concern that this ingredient can be toxic to the environment.
• BHT: This has shown up positive for cancer when tested on animals. It is also toxic to the skin, the organ system,  and can affect allergies, the development of baby’s, and the respiratory system.
• Methylisothiazolinone: This is another ingredient restricted in cosmetics in Canada. It is also restricted for cosmetics in Japan. There is some concern that it contributes to cancer.  It is a mutagen. It is also toxic to the skin.  

I am sure there are more ingredients that contribute to cancer in sunscreen.  I found these ingredients in just three sunscreens. I mainly focused on ingredients that contribute to cancer. However, there were other ingredients that I did not list that are toxic.  It is important to be educated on toxins in everyday products.  If you must use sunscreen make sure you educate yourself on the ingredients in it and don’t use too much of it. Too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Even though ingredients like Tocopherol is low concern when it comes to cancer, combining ingredients that have low contribution to the cause of cancer can make the possibility of getting cancer higher. Find a sunscreen that is low on toxins, or don’t have any toxins. There is always another option to wearing sunscreen, and that is either to put more clothes on, or stay in the shade.

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