The Problem with Suncare
Any skincare junkie knows the basic rule: stay out of the sun — and since that is near impossible, always use sunscreen.
The science is simple. The ultraviolet rays from the sun penetrate into the skin. There, they damage the elastic fibers that keep skin firm, allowing wrinkles to develop. Sunlight is also responsible for age spots on the hands, face, and other sun-exposed areas.
Nonetheless the adage to live by: no tan is a safe tan.
The Cleveland Clinic reiterates the sun’s effects on aging stating that Ultraviolet (UV) light and exposure to sunlight results in photoaging, which is responsible for 90% of visible changes to your skin.
Instead of continuing on about the youth-annihilator formerly known as the sun, I want to discuss the problem with the majority of sunscreen we’re given to combat this inevitable and universal defeat.
A few words: Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Oxybenzone
What do all of these ingredients have in common?
They’re all in La Mer’s BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 50 UV PROTECTING FLUID, $105 1.7oz sold at Violet Grey, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Blue Mercury, Sephora, etc.
Most importantly, the FDA says to avoid each of these ingredients as they lead to hormonal imbalance, reproductive harm, skin reactions, photoallergies, and might even be linked to breast cancer.
Here’s the breakdown of these ingredients that are found in both ‘luxury’ and off-the-shelf drugstore creams.
Oxybenzone:
This chemical is generally the most common ingredient found in chemical sunscreens—which is unfortunate because it’s widely considered to be the most toxic ingredient, too.
Oxybenzone is a problem because it’s readily absorbed by the skin, enters the bloodstream, and circulates throughout the body, which can negatively affect several bodily systems. Additionally, when it sheds off our skin and makes its way into the water, it can cause terrible harm to the environment. One drop in a six-and-half Olympic-sized pool of water is enough to damage coral reefs.
In 2018, Hawaii was the first state to ban sunscreen that could wreak havoc on the environment. The bill officially went into effect on January 1, 2021, and prohibits sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate.
The chemical is also present in breast tissues and breast milk and may induce pro-carcinogenic activities by facilitating the proliferation of cells that are receptive to estrogenic compounds
Oxybenzone is linked to endocrine disruption and affects hormones by blocking them or mimicking them, throwing off the body’s hormonal balance.
It causes toxicity to sperm development and sperm viability, has been shown to feminize male fish, and alter the development of breasts in adolescent females.
It’s been shown to produce contact allergies and photoallergies, meaning reactions actually worsen in the sunlight, which is where you’re supposed to use it.
Oxybenzone can react with chlorine, producing hazardous by-products that can concentrate in swimming pools and hot tubs—if you’ve ever seen the oily substance floating on top of bodies of water, then you know what we mean.
Avobenzone
Avobenzone is typically found in a variety of chemical sunscreens, including lip balms with SPF and baby sunscreen. However, despite how common this ingredient is, it may not be very effective on its own. In fact, sunlight can cause it to break down if it doesn’t have another chemical to stabilize it, making it easier for the sun’s rays to penetrate your skin.
Homosalate
Homosalate is a chemical commonly found in sunscreens and several products containing SPF. It’s used in chemical sunscreens because it can absorb ultraviolet (UV) rays, effectively preventing them from reaching your skin. However, in June 2021, the European Commission released a statement deeming homosalate unsafe in concentrations higher than 10%, thus recommending that only 1.4% be used in sun-blocking cosmetics. Currently, the FDA allows a homosalate concentration of 15%. [Note La Mer includes 5.00% Homosalate]
The FDA proposes that 11 ingredients commonly found in sunscreen need additional data from safety and efficacy testing. Chemicals to avoid in sunscreen include:
Oxybenzone
Avobenzone
Homosalate
Octinoxate
Octocrylene
Cinoxate
Dioxybenzone
Ensulizole
Meradimate
Padimate O
Sulisobenzone
A montage of sunscreens with one or more of these 11 ingredients:
For now, if you are concerned about health effects, the safest choice is a so-called “mineral” or “physical” sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, dermatologists say. Those are only sunscreen ingredients that the FDA says are “generally recognized as safe and effective.”
Safe shopping!
Photograph: Helmut Newton, Sunbathing, CA, 1970-1979 / Color Polaroid Print © Artnet