Why are there carcinogens in sunscreen?
This morning, I got a message from my friend Julie. Julie is a pharmacist and shared the latest press, this time from Coppertone, on a voluntary recall of five of their sunscreens. Independent testing of batches showed trace amounts of a potent carcinogen, benzene. Which begs the question: why are there cancer-causing ingredients in sunscreen?
This is a complex question, but you’re lucky that I’m a nerd and love to dig into the “why”. As we dig in, it’s important to keep this in mind: these companies are not intentionally adding cancer-causing agents to their products.
So quick lesson on sunscreen. There are two types of sunscreens: chemical sunscreens and mineral (or physical) sunscreens.
Chemical sunscreens absorb into the skin (make a mental note of that) and then absorb the sun’s rays and convert them to heat and release them from the body.
Conversely, mineral sunscreens sit on top of the skin and reflect the sun’s rays, so no absorption of the rays occurs.
You can look on the back of sunscreens to see if it’s a chemical or mineral sunscreen. It’s important to know that some brands contain a hybrid of chemical and mineral protection. More on this (I have a strong opinion about this) later.
Chemical sunscreens go by many “aliases”. oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, octyl salicylate, homosalate, or octinoxate. You will find these ingredients listed in the “Active Ingredients” section on the back.
Mineral sunscreens will contain zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or a combination of both.
For those of us who remember watching our lifeguard with the mullet wearing the pink Zinka on his nose while listening to Bon Jovi sing “You Give Love a Bad Name” on the speaker, this is NOT the same zinc formulation. But I digress.
How does benzene end up in sunscreen?
As noted earlier, no one at J&J or Coppertone is nefariously adding carcinogens to sunscreen. But it’s pretty frustrating to trace the history of how this can happen.
Benzene is a flammable liquid that can be inhaled or absorbed in the skin and has been linked to leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and other blood cancers in children and adults.
So it’s known that benzene is a carcinogen. People can come into contact with benzene in the environment, in the workplace, and through consumer products. It’s found a lot in the oil and gas industries and also in second hand smoke. But when it’s in our personal care products, it’s due to contamination.
So basically, a by-product that wasn’t intended to be there. And scientists aren’t entirely sure why. Some batches of chemical sunscreens will have benzene and some won’t.
And that’s the dang problem! The onus is on the manufacturer to figure that out. Let me say this in another way: FDA has no authority to test or recall batches of any product that are found to have harmful ingredients in them.
And to make it more clear, companies that make sunscreens and other personal care products do NOT test each batch of products for contaminants and carcinogens. They don’t have to and well, they just don’t. It’s expensive and time-consuming.
I’m not sure why the brass at Coppertone tested some batches of sunscreen last month. It may have been due to mounting pressure from Valisure, an independent, for-profit pharmacy and research testing lab. About a year ago, Valisure tested 300 chemical sunscreens and found that 78 of the test subjects were benzene positive.
The bottom line: consumer, beware. Your chemical sunscreen may or may not be contaminated with benzene.
Benzene is not found in mineral or physical sunscreens.
You have an alternative. Find a sunscreen that has ONLY zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as an active ingredient. Sometimes, you’ll be “tricked” by the marketing on the front of the product. Sure, it has zinc oxide! But it also has the chemical ingredients we talked about earlier.
A good example is this Banana Boat sunscreen. The marketing makes it look amazing with claims like “Reef Friendly” and “Mineral Enriched”. If you look closer, you’ll find the chemical ingredients we talked about earlier and even fragrance. Ugh. Don’t get me started on that, but you can check out my previous blog post on the stink with fragrance.
When looking for a mineral sunscreen, PLEASE find one with *at least* 15% Zinc Oxide (and 5% titanium dioxide if included). I once bought a Badger mineral sunscreen with 6% zinc oxide and fried my kid’s face because I didn’t know that 15% was the minimum percentage needed to be effective.
Also, mineral sunscreens must be reapplied every 45 minutes to an hour. Remember, you are creating a physical sun barrier and if you swim it off, sweat it off, or towel it off, you have to reapply.
It’s great to note that with ANY sunscreen, SPF 30 is all you need. Yep, that’s right. You’re no more protected from the sun with SPF 100 than you are with SPF 30.
What actions can you take?
Want to hear one more crazy thing before I share my favorite mineral sunscreen? Hawaii and Key West have banned tourists and locals from using chemical sunscreens. You know why? They’re killing the coral reef. And thanks to the advocacy work I get to do with Beautycounter, we helped to pass the Safe Sunscreen Bill into legislation in Hawaii.
As you think about the pros and cons of chemical versus mineral sunscreens, please remember that your skin is your largest organ. And when you absorb those chemicals from chemical sunscreens, there is a cumulative exposure to potentially toxic ingredients.
My absolute favorite mineral sunscreen is Countersun by Beautycounter. Not just because I’m an advocate for the brand. Many mineral sunscreens can leave a white or bluish cast on your skin and that looks flattering on exactly nobody. Our sunscreen goes on clear, has 19% zinc oxide, and has SPF 30. We also offer it in a stick, a lotion, and a non-aerosol spray. So you’re welcome!
You can also check out the EWG Guide to Sunscreens to find a myriad of options to match your budget and needs.
If you’d like to tell congress to support more health protective laws into legislation (like one that would give FDA the ability to pull sunscreen with benzene off the shelf–DUH), text BETTERBEAUTY to 52886.
At Beautycounter, we meticulously screen every single batch of our products to ensure that they are free of any harmful ingredients. We don’t think that’s such a big deal and think everyone should do the same. Beauty should be good for you. Learn more about our unparalleled process here.
Want to use your voice for change? Learn more here.
