Sunscreen Can Cause Cancer

Question

According to breast cancer.org, "While chemicals can protect us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays, research strongly suggests that at certain exposure levels, some of the chemicals in some sunscreen products may cause cancer in people." They suggest that to avoid the possibility of getting cancer from the sun or sunscreen you should wear a wide-brim hat, long sleeves, and pants.

Answer 1

The claim that sunscreen causes cancer is true for some types of brands/products; however, it is most certainly not true for all sunscreen. According to Baptist Health South Florida, recent tests of various sunscreen products revealed that out of 300 sprays and lotions tested benzene, a chemical linked to leukemia and blood cancers, was found in 78 of the products. This makes this claim exaggerated and misleading as it is true in some products, but not all.

https://baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-news/cancer-causing-chemicals-in-sunscreens-what-you-need-to-know

Answer 2

This is exaggerated/misleading. According to the University of Nebraska Health Center, "High levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, were reportedly found in several sunscreens, leaving some questioning if sunscreen can do more harm than good. It's important to note that these results are from one study (Valisure), which hasn't yet been validated. Strangely, they also detected benzene in blank test tubes (no sunscreen), leaving some to question if the testing methods contributed to the levels detected."

This shows that it is misleading to say that sunscreen directly causes cancer, when it can actually help prevent cancer. If it's based off a study that isn't validated, there is no way to say if this claim is actually true.

Source: https://health.unl.edu/can-sunscreen-cause-cancer-how-avoid-benzene

Answer 3

This is true.

Not all sunscreens are made the same. However, there are some that do contain harmful chemicals that put people at risk for cancer. According to baptisthealth.net, "In tests of nearly 300 sprays and lotions, the cancer-causing chemical [Benzene] was found in 78 products, including some formulations sold by Neutrogena, Banana Boat and CVS." In this article, Michael Kasper, the director of oncology for Lynn Cancer Institute is referenced confirming that benzene is associated with blood cancers. 

https://baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-news/cancer-causing-chemicals-in-sunscreens-what-you-need-to-know

I did a couple of other searches, and many medicine focused websites say something similar. Benzene, a chemical confirmed to be related to cancer, is in fact in some of the sunscreen products. The possibility is there, but the products are not a main cause of cancer. If you use the products it does not mean you will get cancer.

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/is-sunscreen-safe

Answer 4

Though there are some sunscreens that have toxic ingredients in them that may lead to cancer, an individual will not receive cancer from any sunscreen that has been approved by the FDA. Excess sun exposure is one of the leading causes of cancer and melanoma among individuals. The only way to combat this harsh exposure without staying inside the rest of your life is sunscreen use. By paying attention to labels and descriptions that share that the sunscreen has been approved by the FDA, individuals can avoid skin cancer and ensure a healthy life and healthy skin.

https://www.nfcr.org/blog/is-sunscreen-safe/?gclid=CjwKCAjw586hBhBrEiwAQYEnHYAeWR_r0gcl_TeH1miXnxw68oPltmEz6VHdTlcThxWU4XDlWA-1HBoC7JoQAvD_BwE

Answer 5

According to the link below, there's no scientific evidence that using sunscreen causes cancer.

https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-cancer/does-sunscreen-cause-cancer

Answer 6

According to the Nebraska Medicine University Health Center, high levels of benzene, which is a carcinogenic chemical, were found in multiple different sunscreen brands. Benzene is an unstable chemical, so it is not able to be determined exactly how much can be absorbed through the skin. However, sunscreen is incredibly important in preventing skin cancer, such as melanoma. Sunscreen protects from harmful UV rays, and using it on a daily basis has been proven to prevent cancer. Nebraska Medicine recommends that people do research on their sunscreen brand before using it in order to ensure that it is benzene free, and doesn't contain any other chemicals such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. It is also recommended that people apply sunscreen to exposed areas 15 minutes before sun exposure.

https://health.unl.edu/can-sunscreen-cause-cancer-how-avoid-benzene

Answer 7

Yes, it is true that certain sunscreen can be cancer causing when they have cancer causing ingredients, one of those ingredients being benzene. According to University of Nebraska’s Health Center, “ High levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, were reportedly found in several sunscreens, leaving some questioning if sunscreen can do more harm than good.” 

https://health.unl.edu/can-sunscreen-cause-cancer-how-avoid-benzene

Answer 8

This is true. High levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, were reportedly found in several sunscreens, leaving some questioning if sunscreen can do more harm than good. Benzene is also very unstable, so it's unclear how much would be absorbed through the skin.

Source: https://health.unl.edu/can-sunscreen-cause-cancer-how-avoid-benzene

Answer 9

It's true. According to this article Sun Safety: Cancerous Chemicals Found in Sunscreens, 

“Valisure, an online pharmacy known for testing every batch of medication they sell, announced this week that they petitioned the FDA to recall 40 batches of sunscreens and after-sun products they say tested for high levels of the chemical benzene. The company tested 294 batches from 69 companies and found benzene in 27% -- many in major national brands like Neutrogena and Banana Boat. Some batches contained as much as three times the emergency FDA limit of 2 parts per million (ppm).”

https://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/news/20210528/stay-truly-safe-sun

Notice that the sun products contain a chemical named benzene. And according to this article Is My Sunscreen Safe? from Yale Medicine, 

“A safe level of benzene in sunscreen products doesn’t exist,” Dr. Bunick says. “One potential hypothesis of how the benzene was introduced is that it came from the ethanol used in the manufacturing process.”

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/is-sunscreen-safe

Answer 10

It is not decided yet, according to university health center, It's important to note that these results are from one study (Valisure), which hasn't yet been validated. Strangely, they also detected benzene in blank test tubes (no sunscreen), leaving some to question if the testing methods contributed to the levels detected.
 

https://health.unl.edu/can-sunscreen-cause-cancer-how-avoid-benzene