In the U.S., and around the world, the widespread use of sunscreens has, unfortunately, resulted in an increase in skin cancers.
Going in the Wrong Direction
Sunscreens were introduced in the 1970s, yet here we are fifty years later with a shocking increase in the incidence of melanoma. In the United States in 1970, the incidence rate for melanoma was 5.7 per 100,000. Between 1973 and 2022, the overall rate increased 200 percent, and the rate for children and white female young adults increased 253 percent.
If sunscreens actually worked, the incidence of skin cancer would be going down, right? To understand why they are not, we have to look at the basic premise of sunscreens and recognize that the entire concept of ultraviolet (UV) protection is wrong.
Although UVB rays are what cause the typical sunburn and blocking UVB does stop the skin from turning red, the sunburn is the body’s warning sign that it is time to get out of the sun because you have run out of your natural protective nutrients that prevent damage from the sun.
Studies published in the 1990s admitted that sunshine had not been proven to cause melanoma or skin cancers. In 1994, researchers reported that “sunscreens failed to protect against UV radiation-induced increase in melanoma incidence.”
Several investigators also found a higher incidence of basal cell carcinomas with sunscreen use and stated that their findings did not show that sunscreens prevented basal cell carcinoma.
UV Filters
The FDA has approved sixteen UV-filtering chemicals for use as sunscreen ingredients. Six of these chemicals were NOT subject to full research before the FDA approved them for use in sunscreens. In fact, every chemical approved by the FDA is TOXIC to the human body. These chemical toxins are: oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, homosalate, octocrylene and titanium dioxide. Animal and human studies have shown that all of these chemicals are hormone disruptors.
These chemicals are well-documented endocrine (hormone) disruptors. Structurally mimicking the shape of our hormones, they bind to the body’s hormone receptors, blocking the ability of our hormones to attach to their receptors, thereby preventing them from performing their life-preserving functions.
Many studies corroborate the hormone disruptions, showing that benzophenones disrupt estrogen, testosterone and thyroid and receptors.
Body Penetration
Multiple studies confirm substantial absorption and distribution of these chemicals throughout the whole body. After application to the skin, each of these toxic chemicals is detected in the bloodstream within five minutes, with traces of each of them found in all tissues examined. The liver absorbs the highest amount, followed by the kidney, spleen and testicles.
After repeated topical applications, these chemicals accumulate in the blood, liver and brain, creating toxicity throughout the brain and entire nervous system.
A study with human volunteers who applied sunscreens containing these chemicals for two weeks, detected all three sunscreen chemicals in blood and urine, along with alterations in reproductive hormone levels.
Observing the amount of these hormone disruptors in the blood, the researchers expressed concern for children who have not reached puberty, because they are more sensitive to even low levels of these hormone disruptors.
Young children are also less able to eliminate these toxins, and have a larger surface area per body weight than adults, which can result in greater absorption and build-up within their bodies. The researchers concluded that sunscreens “have greater adverse effects in children.”
” This situation is all the more tragic because chemical filters are fat-soluble (meaning that they can combine with or dissolve into fat); this allows them to cross the blood-brain barrier readily, impairing nerve transmission and producing toxic effects in the brain..
Spray Sunscreens
Sunscreens in spray bottles, promoted as convenient, can be even more harmful, because inhalation of residual spray is associated with increased exposure of the brain to these nanoparticles because the olfactory nerves (nose) directly transport the nanoparticles into the brain. Inhaled nanoparticles also allows thsee nanoparticles to travel through the blood to all tissues and organs, creating oxidative damage in the brain, lungs, blood, lymph nodes, liver, kidney and spleen.
Those who wish to protect themselves should avoid using any spray sunscreens and should stay away from anyone spraying themselves, as it is carried by the wind and can contaminate everyone in the area.
Reproductive Effects
Many published studies have shown that sunscreen chemicals alter and interfere with reproduction. As long ago as 1992, the U.S. government published research that identified body-wide toxicity from the chemicals in sunscreens. The alterations included cellular death, weight gain, damage to both liver and kidneys, lengthened menstrual cycles, and decreased sperm count.
At least nine studies of the toxic chemicals in sunscreens show reproductive harm, including problems that could result in impaired fertility. The wide-ranging reproductive effects identified in these studies include increased cell death, premature and inhibited egg development, death of ovary cells, deformed follicle growth, cellular and DNA toxicity, cellular changes in testicular tissue, decreased testicular weight, decreased testosterone, reduced sperm quality, placenta toxicity and neurotoxicity to neonatal as well as to adult brains.
The fact that these toxic nanoparticles do not leave the body makes their reproductive effects particularly troubling. Females should guard against using products that contain oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, homosalate, octocrylene or titanium dioxide.
Fetal Development
There is no doubt that sunscreen chemicals are absorbed into the body through the skin. It is imperative to study the extent to which they transfer to the fetus and whether and how they interfere with the child’s development. Although the placenta has specialized cells to prevent toxins from entering the fetus while it is developing, this protective barrier does not block passage of these toxic nanoparticles.
One study found that gestational exposure to these nanoparticles significantly impaired placental growth and development. Another study showed that when pregnant women were exposed to these nanoparticles, the nanoparticles concentrated in the hippocampus of the brain, which can then cause significant impairment in learning and memory (critical functions that the hippocampus performs).
Ordinarily, the body is able to counter the oxidation reactions that occur continually throughout the whole body, preventing inflammation in the tissues so that it does not disrupt normal functioning. However, research indicates that exposure to these toxins during pregnancy may impair the development of the brain and central nervous system of the child, altering neurotransmitter functions; this in turn may result in altered neurobehavioral performance such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), epilepsy, and even autism. .
Many young people today are stating that they are confused as to their sexual orientation. It is no wonder, the use of estrogenic and anti-testosterone sunscreen chemicals for the last forty years could be one reason that males and females are experiencing gender identity confusion in ever greater numbers.
It is known that testosterone secreted by fetal testicles plays a key role in the permanent organization of the developing central nervous system toward masculine patterns. This means that males exposed to these chemicals in utero are subject to disruption of the development of normal masculine character traits. And not only are fetuses exposed to strong chemicals capable of altering natural sexual patterning, but the exposure to these estrogenic and anti-testosterone chemicals then continues throughout their lives.
Avoidance is the Best Solution
Sunscreen chemicals create many life-altering changes. The bottom line is that, following decades of using sunscreens with substances that were never safe to begin with, we now have sunscreens that have been made even more unsafe with the inclusion of tiny nanoparticles that more easily penetrate the skin and tissues, making them even more biologically reactive. Brought to market without proper testing for safety, the microscopic size of nanoparticles also makes it difficult to measure them and document the damage.
Although articles have described hormone disruptions from endocrine-disrupting chemicals for decades—and new studies keep revealing the same harm—they have not attracted adequate attention. By ignoring this evidence, we have created whole generations that feel uncertain regarding their maleness or femaleness.
Fortunately, information about the risks of endocrine-disrupting sunscreen chemicals is finally starting to encourage the public to avoid sunscreens.
Bottom Line: Avoid sunscreens like the toxic plague that they are. Enjoy the sun, but like everything else in life, moderation is the key.
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