Sunscreen is suspected to cause cancer

Question

This claim is somewhat correct based on the University of Nebraska Health Center article that states, "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." This article discusses how this evidence was found from one study and it not validated yet. Because this evidence hasn't been fully proven yet, this claim is somewhat correct, but is not misinformation. This claim is backed up by the credible source of the University of Nebraska Health Center.

Answer 1

While it is true that some harmful and cancer causing chemicals this claim is still misleading. Not all sunscreens have these harmful chemicals and there are safe alternatives to these sunscreens. In fact, normal city air includes more of these harmful chemicals than sunscreen does. Also, rays from the sun can cause skin cancers so most sunscreens actually protect the skin from these cancer causing rays.

https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/6-sunscreen-myths-debunked.h26-1592202.html

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

Comments

Your first source is very clear and helpful in debunking myths related to sunscreen. It seems that there are many alternatives, such as sunblock, for people who are concerned about the chemicals in sunscreen.

Answer 2

https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/exposure-to-chemicals-in-sunscreen

while the study that was provided and the one I linked above can show links between toxic chemicals in sunscreen and cancer, that does not necessarily mean that sunscreen will give someone cancer. In addition, certain sunscreens don't have benzene in them which is what people are suspecting is bad for you. It is also unknown how much benzene gets absorbed by your skin. Overall, I think that sunscreen could potentially cause cancer but the risk of the sun has a lot worse evidence against it.

Answer 3

According to: https://www.poison.org/articles/does-sunscreen-cause-cancer

"The highest concentration of benzene found in sunscreen products in the Valisure study was 6.26 parts per million (ppm). This is significantly lower than the benzene concentrations associated with acute health effects, but a chronic exposure to this concentration could potentially be dangerous.

Acute exposures to high levels of benzene can cause dizziness, drowsiness, headache, and nausea, whereas chronic exposures to benzene are associated with blood disorders including certain types of leukemias."

Answer 4

Not all sunscreens contain cancer causing chemicals. One of these chemicals is benzene, which is a "petroleum derived toxic chemical widely recognized to cause cancer and other serious health effects, with no safe level for human exposure" (EWG). Benzene can be absorbed through the skin when sunscreen is applied, which increases the hazardous effects of the chemical. However, benzene is mostly found in sunscreen sprays, and it is recommended to use a sunscreen lotion instead. More research needs to be done to trace the effects of benzene and sunscreen. Until then, a concrete answer cannot be provided, so this is a misleading claim.

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/beware-of-benzene-shining-a-light-on-sunscreen-spray-contamination/

Answer 5

According to Yale Medicine, the main controversy here is occurring with chemical-based sunscreens, as opposed to mineral-based sunscreens. Since chemical-based sunscreens actually enter the skin in order to absorb the sun's rays, there is a possible concern that they can enter the bloodstream and disrupt hormones in the body. Ultimately, doctors do not think there is a lot to be overly worried about right now, but using more mineral-based sunscreens and checking for no benzene could be a good idea.

Source:

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

Answer 6

This claim is true. Some chemicals in the ingredients of sunscreen have been found to contain carcinogens and therefore people have been told to discontinue use and companies have recalled. Carcinogen benzine was connected to the company Johnson &Johnson aerosol sunscreen that was recalled. 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/sunscreen-makers-withdraw-products-found-to-contain-cancer-causing-substance

Answer 7

<!--StartFragment-->

Sunscreen is applied to prevent sunburning, to prevent the gamma radiation from the sun coming into direct contact with our skin. This causes the sunscreen to be a protective barrier between the heat, the sun and our skin, reducing our risk of skin cancer as well. That is what we've been taught for our skincare days.

To debunk the myth that sunscreen causes cancer, there is no medical evidence supporting this claim but rather the opposite, as supported by MD Anderson Cancer Center, because sunblock contains ingredients that only sit on the sun's surface and cannot be absorbed by the skin like UV rays from the sun and tanning beds can. No matter the weather, the sun still exists and UV rays are still a factor in play on the daily, therefore, sunscreen must be applied and reapplied in order to protect your skin from something like cancer.

The problem isn't sunscreen overall, the problem is what ingredients and what type of sunscreen it is. According to Breastcancer.org, some sunscreens contain such strong level od chemicals that start to "react" with the UV rays and can lead to cancer because of the way many of these chemicals can get messed up.

But still at the end of the day it is not true that sunscreen causes cancer.

<!--EndFragment-->

Answer 8

This is false. While there is no medical evidence that sunscreen causes cancer, some are worried that the chemicals in sunscreen are harmful. Chemicals like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide sit on the skin, they cannot be absorbed by the skin, according to Sapna Patel, M.D.

https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/6-sunscreen-myths-debunked.h26-1592202.html

Answer 9

According to USA Today, Sun Screen confirmed does not cause cancer.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/06/15/fact-check-evidence-shows-sunscreen-safe-and-effective/9812795002/

Comments

How would you rate the claim? Don't forget to select a rating for each fact-check. Also do you mean "sunscreen does not cause cancer"?

Answer 10

As stated in the article "Carcinogens in Sunscreen" by Tod Cooperman, "Benzene, which has been linked to blood cancers, was reported in 2021 in a large number of sunscreens and after-sun products that were independently tested." Even though there can be ingredients in sunscreen that can cause cancer this statement is misleading because sunscreen still prevents sun damage. Thankfully, "In the months after benzene was reported in sunscreens, recalls were undertaken by Coppertone and by Johnson & Johnson... In January 2023, Banana Boat also expanded its recall of products found to contain benzene."

https://www.consumerlab.com/answers/cancer-causing-compounds-benzene-benzophenone-in-sunscreen/carcinogens-sunscreen/#:~:text=Answer%3A,are%20carcinogens%20%E2%80%94%20benzene%20and%20benzophenone. 

Comments

So if no research was conducted and as a result no recall occurred, the claim would actually be true since the carcinogenic ingredients would still be in the sunscreen? What I understand is that one entity decided to do research that led to all this information being revealed.