This list of the 7 worst sunscreen ingredients to avoid will help you find sunscreens that are toxin-free, and that will truly protect your body well.
Unfortunately, many of the sunscreens that claim to protect you from the sun and skin cancer actually contain ingredients that are toxic and damaging to the body. In addition, many sunscreens have misleading information that makes you think they fully protect you, when in reality they don’t protect you from all types of damaging radiation.
In this post I outline the worst sunscreen ingredients to avoid and why they have toxic effects on the body. Then I address some common misconceptions about sunscreens, and give resources to find high-quality natural sunscreens that are toxin-free and affordable.
Chemical Sunscreen Ingredients to Avoid
Because sunscreen is made to be absorbed quickly and effectively, the ingredients that make up conventional sunscreens soak through skin and can be detected in people’s blood, urine, and even mothers’ breast milk. Unfortunately, chemical ingredients found in many sunscreen brands are actually quite toxic and can disrupt hormones and cause allergic reactions!
These are the 7 Worst Sunscreen Ingredients to Avoid:
1. Oxybenzone, active ingredient
- Most worrisome sunscreen chemical
- Hormone disrupter: in laboratory studies it acts like estrogen in the body, alters sperm production in animals, and is associated with endometriosis in women
- Was still reported to be present in many non-mineral sunscreens in 2017
2. Retinyl palmitate
- An antioxidant and form of vitamin A that combats skin aging
- Studies by federal governmental scientists indicate that it may trigger the development of skin tumors when used on skin in sunlight
- Also called vitamin A, retinyl acetate, retinyl linoleate, and retinol
3. Octinoxate, active ingredient
- Hormone disrupter
- Reproductive, thyroid, and behavioral alterations in animal studies
- Causes moderate rates of allergic reactions
4. Homosalate, active ingredient
- Hormone disrupter – effecting estrogen, androgen, and progesterone levels
5. Methylisothiazolinone, a preservative
- A known skin allergen, causing more and more allergic reactions each year
- Declared unsafe for any leave-on cosmetic products in Europe, but still allowed in the US
- The American Contact Dermatitis Society named it the “allergen of the year” in 2013
Ingredients to Avoid in Sprays or Powders for Inhalation Concerns:
6. Titanium Dioxide
7. Zinc Oxide
Does Sunscreen Prevent Cancer?
The U.S. government still allows must sunscreens to claim they help prevent skin cancer. However, there is little scientific evidence to support this. A big reason this is not supported, is because only sunscreens that protect against UVA rays will be effective in preventing melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer), but a lot of chemical sunscreens do not protect against UVA, only UVB.
Interestingly, Europe requires that sunscreens have an increase in UVA protection with the increase in SPF, but the FDA in the U.S. does not require this. SPF (sunburn protection factor) only reflects UVB protection, not UVA. It is very important to make sure you are using mineral sunscreens that say “broad spectrum” on them, meaning they protect against both UVA and UVB radiation.
The Case for Mineral Sunscreens
There are two main types of sunscreens: sunscreens made with chemical active ingredients which are often toxic, and sunscreens made with mineral active ingredients. Each one works differently to protect skin and hold up in sunlight.
Mineral sunscreens using zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide are:
Stable in sunlight
Offer a good balance of broad spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays
Don’t often contain other harmful ingredients
Far less likely to penetrate the skin and reach living tissues
