Hidden Dangers Of Sunscreen

Hey there Greenie,

Summer season is coming to an end. Sure, all the kids are already back in school, punpkin spice everything is hitting the shelves, and even Christmas decorations are already finding there way into some stores. But… it is technically still the summer season. So to honor the last few days of summer I thought I’d shed a little light on, well…light!

I feel like it’s the norm to think that the sun is bad and that we should stay out of the sun, and if we do go in the sun that we should lather ourselves up in sunscreen. Well, what if I were to tell you that sunscreen is not as good for you as you thought, and that time spent in the sun is actually good!

It is more commonly known that majority of the sunscreens on the market contain chemicals, fragrances and preservatives that are bad for us; but less… much less… commonly known that sunscreen is also bad because it blocks the body’s ability to produce vitamin D, and can increase our exposure to harmful UV light while leaving us like sitting ducks to the dangers of UV exposure. How is this possible if sunscreen is supposed to protect us from UV light? To answer that question, first I need to explain the difference between UVA and UVB rays.

UVA and UVB

UVB is most commonly known as the “good” rays, where UVA is most commonly known as the “bad”. The reason for this being that UVA rays pentetrate the skin a lot deeper than UVB, causing more cellular damage. UVA rays are also the main culprit for wrinkles, photoaging and the onset of skin cancers. While both “bad” UVA and “good” UVB can cause sunburns, UVB causes more intense sunburns in a shorter period of time. This is because UVB rays act more superficially, having a shorter wavelength. The superficial penetrtation therefore causes more skin damage, like sunburns. We all know sunburns are bad. That is an obvious. But what happens right before the skin burns is magic! When our body is exposed to the “good” UVB rays, it creates a reaction that stimulates the production of vitamin D. The more “safe” exposure we have to the sun, the more production of vitamin D. (1)

Sunscreen blocks the production of vitamin D

In the US, sunscreens main objective is to keep the skin from burning. The main source of burning, as we now know, is from the UVB rays. So sunscreens in the US mainly target blocking the “good” UVB rays. As a consequence of blocking UVB rays to keep from burning, sunscreens are also blocking the production of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is 1. critical for healthy immune function, 2. preventing many forms of cancer (skin cancer being one), and 3. protecting you from the harms caused by UVA rays.

1. Critical for healthy immune function: There are studies supporting the idea that vitamin D is an important part of immune function and the lack of vitamin D from the sun in the winter may be a cause for the cold and flu season during these winter months. (2)
2. Prevents many forms of cancer: New studies are popping up, linking vitamin D to the decrease in up to 16 different types of cancers; of course skin cancer being one, as well as breast, lung, ovarian, and prostate. Research is also showing that if you are at risk for cancer, having optimal levels of vitamin D can decrease your risk of cancer by up to 60%! Thats’s huge! (3)
3. Protects you from harm caused by UVA rays: UVA rays, which cause deeper cellular damage and can lead to skin cancers, are mediated by the production of vitamin D. This is because vitamin D helps increase the self destruction, and decrease the reproduction of mutated cells. (4)

Sunscreen increases our exposure to UV light

So remember what I said earlier about sunscreen exposing you to MORE UV light? Well here is the theory behind it. When people apply sunblock they do it assuming that they are protected from all forms of UV rays, therefore giving them the false understanding that they can spend longer amounts of time in the sun. Sunscreens are made to block out the UV rays of the sun; which essentially is good. The downfall is that most US sunscreens really only focus on blocking the good vitamin D producing UVB rays because they are the ones that cause sunburns. The FDA’s guidelines for UVA protection in sunscreens is not so strict, allowing most brands to get away with providing little UVA protection in their products. Now remember, the UVB rays produce the vitamin D which protects you from UVA. (5) So by lathering sunscreen on your body everyday before heading outside, you are doing double damage by 1. blocking the UVB rays, therefore inhibiting your body from producing the vitamin D it needs to protect itself from UVA, and 2. spending more time in the sun, thinking the sunblock is protecting you from harmful exposure, only to expose yourself to even MORE UVA rays; which your body is having a hard time fighting off because well… we didn’t build up our vitamin D production to begin with. Wow… a mouthful! It kinda seems like a viscous cycle, right? So how do we do this safely then?

How to get “safe” sun exposure

I am not saying that being out in the sun all day is good for you, and that you’ll get oodles amounts of vitamin D, and yay we are all good! No. There is a fine balance to the system. The goal is to get in some “raw” sun for a few minutes a day. Raw meaning no sunscreen in order to optimize your vitamin D intake. According to vitamin D researcher Michael Holick, ” … a sunscreen with a sun protection of 15 absorbs 99% of the incident UVB radiation, and, thus, when topically applied properly will decrease the synthesis of vitamin D3 in the skin by 99%.” (6)This is why it is important to go sans sunscreen for the first initial couple of minutes. Once you notice your skin turning the slightest shade of pink then it’s time to cover up. The body only produces so much vitamin D, so once you see yourself turning pink any amount of time in the sun after that will only cause burning and skin damage. The amount of time spent out in the sun will depend on 1. your skin color 2. time of day, and 3. the season.

1.  Your skin color: If you have lighter skin and tend to burn quickly, then you can stay in the sun for 10-20 minutes before your body stops producing vitamin D. The more sessions of safe sun exposure, the tanner you will become. This tan, or production of melanin in the skin, acts as a natural UV barrier. If you are darker skinned, either from being out in the sun or naturally from ethnic descent, then you can stay in the sun much longer without any harm caused to the skin. The darker you are, the more protected your skin is from the UV rays and the longer it takes for your body to maximize its vitamin D absorption. (7)
2. Time of day: Sadly, UVB rays don’t penetrate through the atmosphere as easily as UVA rays do. Because of UVB’s short wavelength, they are more abundant around noon, between 10 am and 2 pm when the sun is highest in the sky. UVA, however, has longer waves and cuts through clouds and air pollution a lot easier. UVA rays are fairly constant throughout all times of day as long as the sun is out. Getting raw sun outside of the preferred time will require you to be out in the sun longer in order to get the desired amount of vitamin D. So it makes more sense to expose yourself when UVB is most present, around noonish, because the amount of raw sun exposure will be shorter; which also means shorter exposure to “bad” UVA. (8)
3. The season: Like time of day, the season makes a big difference in the amount of UVB rays present. Summer is obviously the prime season. Depending on the weather spring and fall can be good too. When it’s cloudy out only UVA can really penetrate through the clouds, making vitamin D production less likely. When temperatures drop below 50 degrees there really are not as many UVB rays reaching the earth’s surface. Besides, who wants to be out in a bikini in 50 degree weather? For optimal absorption as little as 50% of your body should be exposed. So the little exposure of your hands and face is not enough. It’s also important you don’t try and get your UVB exposure through the window. Windows are made to block out UVB rays, but once again those pesky UVA rays manage to sneak through. Studies have even shown a correlation between increased instances of melanoma and indoor workers. Being indoors not only exposes you solely to UVA rays, but apparently UV light through windows also breaks down the vitamin D that was produced from outside UV light. (9)

UVA is more damaging, is constant at all hours of the day, breaches through windows, and most sunscreens have little protection against it. Meaning, sunscreens are causing you more harm by preventing vitamin D absorption and therefore increasing your risk of skin cancer, as well as exposing you to harmful chemicals (if you are using chemical sunscreen). So the next time you find yourself outside in the sun, try going sans sunscreen and wear that bare skin proudly! At least for 20 minutes or so. When you are done getting your daily dose of raw sun, then cover up as much as you can with cotton or spf clothing; stick to the shade if possible; and/or lather up in a safe mineral sunscreen. According to EWG, sunscreens with zinc oxide as the active ingredient are better at blocking out the “bad” UVA light than other active ingredients. It is also recommended to take a good vitamin D supplement from a well trusted brand during the winter months when UVB rays are lacking, and to keep things light, I’ll end with this quote:

Don’t forget to drink water and get some sun. You’re basically a house plant with more complicated emotions.

Happy tanning Greenies!

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