The chemical was last reviewed by the FDA in the 1970’s and is widely used in sunscreens made by Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic, and Banana Boat, plus many other cosmetics such as lip balm, lipstick, and skin lotions.
So what does this mean? Using sunscreen causes cancer?
We’ve been led to believe that exposure to the sun’s rays damages skin and is cumulative. Any ‘burn’ or color is a sign of cell damage. Using lotions to screen UVA and UVB radiation allows longer exposure to the sun with less ‘burn’. But does it stop the cell damage, and is the oxybenzone ingredient more dangerous than the sun? And does reducing exposure to sunlight actually increase incidence of other cancers?
Human beings have been exposed to the sun for 50,000 years and seem to be thriving and propagating at an ever faster rate. If the sun were so dangerous would we not have struggled to survive or adapted to it’s threat?
And sun bathing is considered a good treatment for some skin conditions and for general well-being, as well as necessary for the production of vitamin D. After all it is the source of all energy for life on the planet.
So should we stop using sunscreen? It does appear that the common ingredient in skin lotions is dangerous, and the FDA is 40 years behind in it’s monitoring. It also seems that the exposure to oxybenzone, also known as benzophenone-3, is a significant safety concern, a serious contaminate already causing hormonal changes in men, women, and children, so it may be prudent to reduce or remove further exposure.
As for sunbathing, there is no good reason to get burnt. I’ll be keeping shaded and avoid direct sun during the middle of the day. But I’ll also enjoy the indirect sunlight and the benefits of being outside when I feel like it.
