Using sunscreen daily harmful to your skin

Question

Is the daily use of sunscreen harmful to your skin barrier because it blocks sun rays from giving people the Vitamin D they need? Please let me know as someone who values skincare.

Comments

Based on my research, the claim that “using sunscreen daily is harmful to your skin” is false. Here’s what I found:

First of all, a Q&A site like Quora.com is not a valid source as the information comes from individual users instead of licensed professionals. After a quick google search of the main claim “Is using sunscreen daily harmful to your skin?” I found multiple sources that prove that daily sunscreen is in fact crucial to protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.

The first reliable source I found was an article from the American Medical Association called “What doctors wish patients knew about wearing sunscreen”. The AMA is a licensed organization with educated professionals in varying medical fields, with this article focused on statements from two dermatologists.

- Evelyn Jones, MD, a dermatologist and owner of WellSprings Dermatology and WellSprings SkinCare in Paducah, Kentucky.

- Klint Peebles, MD, a dermatologist in Washington and suburban Maryland at Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, a member of the AMA Health System Program.

The article lists multiple points on how to properly choose, apply, and reapply sunscreen. The first sentence of the article, “wearing sunscreen is one of the easiest ways to protect your skin’s appearance and health at any age,” already disproves the initial claim, with the article then going into more detail about how wearing sunscreen helps to prevent skin cancer.

Although this article is from 2022, meaning that it isn’t the most recently posted evidence, it is still a reliable source. If this claim was about politics or current events, an article from three years ago might not be the best evidence to use, but facts proven by medical professionals and dermatologists are still reliable after three years.

In addition, I investigated “The science of sunscreen” published by Harvard Health, yet another incredibly reliable source backed up by professionals of a prestigious university and medical school. Dr. Jennifer Lin, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Melanoma Risk and Prevention Clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital answers commonly asked questions about sunscreen. This article states the many benefits of wearing daily sunscreen, but it also addresses some potential worries that people have about sunscreen.

There is a question asking “Is there evidence that sunscreen actually causes skin cancer?” in which Dr. Lin replies with a no, stating that those who use more sunscreen are also the ones who are exposing themselves to more of the suns harmful rays. This means that there is a direct correlation from sun exposure to skin cancer, not sunscreen to skin cancer.

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-wearing-sunscreen

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen

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This comment seems to be seemingly false. Daily sunscreen is essential for protecting your skin from harmful ultraviolet radiation, which can lead to skin cancer and premature aging. There are many concerns about sunscreen damaging the skin barrier or causing vitamin D deficiency are common, but current research provides evidence against those common claims.
An article published in the journal Life showed the effects of sunscreen on various parameters of skin health, including transepidermal water loss, stratum corneum hydration, and skin elasticity. The findings indicated that sunscreen use does not affect the skin barrier function or overall skin homeostasis.
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/12/2083?
While it's true that UVB rays from the sun are necessary for the skin to create vitamin D, research indicates that regular sunscreen use does not lead to vitamin D deficiency. Research has shown that people who use sunscreen daily can maintain healthy vitamin D levels.
https://www.skincancer.org/blog/sun-protection-and-vitamin-d/?
In summary, sunscreen use is a vital component of keeping a healthy skincare routine, protecting against UV damage without harming the skin barrier or significantly inhibiting vitamin D. Balancing sun protection with mindful vitamin D intake through diet or supplements can help you keep overall health while protecting your skin.

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The claim that using sunscreen daily is harmful to your skin because you are blocking the sun rays is false. Wearing sunscreen daily is proven by dermatologists that it is essential to your skin barrier. “Contrary to common concerns, research indicates that the regular use of sunscreen does not significantly impair the body’s ability to produce vitamin D.” (Bask Sunscare). According to the American Academy of Dermatology, wearing sunscreen helps prevent harmful sun rays from harming your skin. AAD gives examples on sunscreens' benefits such as decreasing signs of early aging, decreasing risk of developing skin cancer, and preventing sunburn. It is important to note that while sunscreen significantly lowers the exposure to UVB rays, it does not block all 100%. This is backed up by Bask Suncare unveiling-the-truth-does-sunscreen-block-vitamin-d, the AAD https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/shade-clothing-sunscreen/is-sunscreen-safe#, and NIH uvfilters. Daily use of sunscreen is not harming our skin, but doing the opposite!

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Great response that gets straight to the point. Also uses a very reputable source. Keep it up! The main question that this claim gives rise to is are there any differences between the different sunscreen brands and if they have an effect?

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This claim is not true. Sunscreen is something healthcare professionals suggest you wear every day. Sunscreen does not block your skin from obtaining good vitamins such as vitamin D but does block your skin from harmful UV rays that hurt you. In research done by AMA, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and  Harvard Health, sunscreen is something that should be a part of your daily routine. It benefits your skin by reducing the risk of skin cancer and helping your skin stay as healthy as possible when spending time outdoors. Your body is still able to take in Vitamin D while being protected from Ultra ultraviolet rays that can burn your skin. In a study done by Harvard Health it states, "but there's debate about whether this is actually necessary when vitamin D can be obtained from certain foods and as an oral supplement. Concern about vitamin D deficiency should not be a reason to avoid sunscreen." (Harvard Health). Ultimately this claim is false.

Sources: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen

https://www.ama-assn.org/

Answer 1

Using sunscreen daily is not harmful for your skin and it happens to be the exact opposite as it is beneficial even when it is not the most sunny outside. An article from the American Medical Association did research on using sunscreen daily and found that it is not harmful to be using daily. Dr. Jones, a specialist of dermatology, found that "80% of ultraviolet light passes through clouds. So if it is cloudy, we need to still apply sunscreen," (Berg, 2022). This source is trustworthy. It is from an organization and uses trained specialists to establish the claim further. By recommending sunscreen everyday it goes against the claim that using sunscreen daily is harmful. Another source coming from the Skin Cancer Foundation found that, "Two important Australian studies showed that melanoma was reduced by 50 percent and squamous cell carcinoma by 40 percent in those who used sunscreen daily" (Bain, 2024). This organization is specialized with surgeons and dermatologists to study and fight against skin cancer and increase prevention making it reliable. 

 

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-wearing-sunscreen

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-wearing-sunscreen

Answer 2

Through researching this claim I found that it, as well as the article are false/ misleading. The claim that daily use of sunscreen is harmful to the skin barrier because it blocks the sun’s rays and prevents the body from receiving necessary Vitamin D is misleading. Dermatological research and organizations like the American Academy of Dermatology affirm that daily use of sunscreen is essential for protecting against skin cancer and premature aging. While sunscreen may slightly reduce the skin’s ability to produce Vitamin D, it does not lead to deficiency in the general population. Most people can still get adequate Vitamin D through diet, supplements, and incidental sun exposure. This claim exemplifies how misinformation, particularly within online wellness communities, can manipulate health discourse by preying on people’s fears about synthetic products. It reflects a broader cultural ideology that associates naturalness with safety, even when scientific evidence says otherwise. From a media studies perspective, this also shows how digital platforms like Quora contribute to context collapse, where expert and non-expert voices are given equal weight. It highlights the importance of fact-checking and the need for media literacy to navigate claims that appeal to personal identity and subjectivity rather than scientific truth.

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen

https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index

Answer 3

According to my research, no using sunscreen daily is not harmful. According to Harvard Health, sunscreen is not harmful, though it is rumored to cause skin cancer. Chemical blockers, a type of sunscreen, allow the suns ultraviolet rays to be absorbed by chemicals, however it does not completely block Vitamin D from being absorbed into the skin.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen

Answer 4

No, using sunscreen daily is not harmful to your skin barrier or vitamin D production. Sunscreen is actually beneficial to skin health. 

Research indicates that daily application of sunscreen can enhance the skin's protective barrier. A study from The National Library of Medicine found that using specifically a ceramide sunscreen increased skin hydration. Sun screen also helps prevent UV damage, which can affect skin aging in the long run.

While it is true that some sunscreens filter out UV rays responsible for vitamin D, studies have shown that typical sunscreen use does not lead to vitamin D deficiency. This is because most people do not apply sunscreen thick enough to block it.

Skin Cancer Foundation

Answer 5

This poster makes a lot of lofty claims that they do not back up. At one point he says “I don’t know of a single person to have developed skin cancer and in my country, almost none wears sunscreen.” There is no way he could know that no one in his country wears it. 

He also points out the fact that he doubts that “poor families in India or Pakistan start their day by applying their UV 50 sunscreen” this is also not a justifiable statement to make.

It is true that the rate of skin cancer is higher in richer countries such as The United states, United Kingdom and Germany. However, he doesn't account for the fact that these countries are more widely populated by people who have lower amounts of melanin. Melanin in the skin has been proven to not fully prevent, but drastically decrease one's chances of developing skin cancer 

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/skin-cancer-rates-by-country

https://skincancer.net/clinical/melanin-risk-factors

Answer 6

Using Quora as a primary source is a huge red flag. Especially for a claim against a product many people use on a regular basis, you need a reputable source to back that up. Harvard Health published an article addressing this exact claim. They explained how there are two kinds of sunscreen one blocking UV rays while the other uses chemicals to absorb the UV. Neither of these have any evidence pointing to it being unhealthy. Now the claim that sunscreen blocks vitamin D is true. According to the article, "it's true that sunscreen blocks ultraviolet B rays, which are shortwave rays from the sun that are important for generating vitamin D in the skin." However, it then goes on to say that even if sunscreen blocks vitamin D, there is no evidence to suggest it causes vitamin D deficiency and should not be a reason to avoid sunscreen. "Some experts recommend spending 10 to 15 minutes in the sun each day before applying sunscreen, but there's debate about whether this is actually necessary when vitamin D can be obtained from certain foods and as an oral supplement. Concern about vitamin D deficiency should not be a reason to avoid sunscreen." https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen

Answer 7

The claim that using sunscreen daily is harmful to the skin is false. A 2019 study published by the National Library of Medicine describes that the risk of vitamin D deficiency from sunscreen is low, and therefore should not discourage people from protecting themselves against skin cancer.  The study states that other research confirms this, as there is currently no evidence of sunscreen being harmful. According to an article published by Harvard Health, sunscreen "protects against all three of the most common skin cancers: squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma." SPF protects from ultraviolet A and B, the rays that age the skin and cause skin cancer. Further, it states that people do not put on enough sunscreen to block vitamin D, yet supplements can still be taken if it is a concern.  In an article published by the American Medical Association, Dr. Evelyn Jones argues that people must wear it daily, including “cloudy days when up to 80% of the UVL rays will penetrate through the clouds.” Therefore, it is crucial to always wear sunscreen, as it protects your skin (and does not dangerously block vitamin D intake).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30945275/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-wearing-sunscreen#

Answer 8

​The belief that daily sunscreen use significantly impairs vitamin D production is a myth. Sunscreen is actually very important when it comes to protecting your skin. While sunscreen can reduce the skin's ability to synthesize vitamin D by blocking ultraviolet B rays, scientific research proves there is no direct any effect on vitamin D production. 

A 2019 meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Dermatology found that regular sunscreen use does not significantly affect vitamin D levels.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-sunscreen-block-vitamin-d-7372964

A review in Photochemistry and Photobiology found that even with sunscreen use, vitamin D production is not reduced enough to cause concern in everyday life. 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30945275/

Daily sunscreen use is high priority for protecting against skin cancer and is not causing any major vitamin D deficiency. If you are vitamin D deficient, vitamins and supplements are the best routes to take, not taking sunscreen out of your daily routine. 

Answer 9

The issue is whether or not daily sunscreen use will damage your skin barrier or keep your body from obtaining enough Vitamin D from sunlight. The fear is that, by putting sunscreen on every day and especially broad-spectrum sunscreens that keep UVA and UVB rays out of the skin people are keeping themselves from making the Vitamin D that they need and will become deficient. The article also includes a hypothesis that daily use of sunscreen will damage healthy skin function, most notably for people with a heavy skincare regimen.

Every day sunscreen use is not harmful to the skin barrier, peer-reviewed research and dermatologists affirm, and is actually one of the best ways to avoid long-term sun damage, photoaging, and skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology, the Skin Cancer Foundation, and the World Health Organization all recommend daily use of sunscreen — even on cloudy days.

While it is true that sunscreen reduces skin ability to synthesize Vitamin D from sunlight, its effect is negligible basically. Even with sun protection, people have been shown by researchers to still get enough Vitamin D by getting brief sun exposure on the face and arms 10–30 minutes several times a week depending on an individual's skin type. Vitamin D is also plentiful in food sources (such as fatty fish, egg yolk, and fortified milk) and pill form, and thus sunscreen cannot be eliminated in an effort to maintain healthy levels.

An article from Harvard Publishing:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sunscreen-and-vitamin-d

“In practice, people typically don’t apply sunscreen thoroughly or often enough to block all UVB rays, so some vitamin D production still occurs. And vitamin D is readily available through food and supplements.”

American Academy of Dermatology: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/shade-clothing-sunscreen/vitamin-d

Answer 10

The claim that using sunscreen daily is harmful to your skin is false. And information from Quora is not often the most scientifically backed up information. There were also no sources provided to back up the claim.

It is recommended by medical professionals to wear sunscreen every day! The Johns Hopkins Medicine website states that wearing sunscreen regularly helps protect skin from developing sun cancer.

Furthermore, the Sun Cancer Foundation is another credible source. Stated that Sunscreen does not have any impact on vitamin D levels, and that you can have both. Additionally, there have been no studies that show wearing sunscreen daily does not lead to vitamin D deficiency.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/sunscreen-and-your-morning-routine

https://www.skincancer.org/blog/sun-protection-and-vitamin-d/