By Dr. Edward F. Group

Guest Writer for Wake Up World

Your skin is the largest organ of your body, yet few people realize its importance for their health. While keeping your heart, liver, and kidneys functioning properly is crucial, so is protecting your skin from radiation and harsh environmental contaminants and conditions.

Now, you’re probably already thinking about sunscreen, the leading product in this regard, which helps to protect the outer layer of your skin from the damaging effects of UV radiation. Conventional sunscreen, however, contains a number of chemical ingredients that may actually be harmful to your health.

Dangerous Chemicals in Sunscreens

The overall reason I recommend organic sunscreen is because of the chemicals contained in conventional sunscreen. Most sunscreens sold today are chemical concoctions that have been linked to a number of health maladies.

Here’s a list of the 5 common chemicals found in non-organic sunscreens and their health effects. Upon seeing the plethora of negative health consequences associated with non-organic sunscreen, you’ll see why I only recommend organic varieties.

1. Avobenzone

Avobenzone is a primary agent in commercial sunscreens due to its effectiveness in absorbing a wide range of ultraviolet (UV) rays, specifically the type that is known to cause sunburn. It’s been considered a relatively safe chemical, but recent research suggests otherwise. Avobenzone degrades in the sun, resulting in the release of free radicals that may actually increase the risk for cancer. [1] [2]

Free radicals are also known to accelerate skin aging and research has also tied it to a slew of allergies. [3]

2. Fragrance

Sunscreen is often injected with a variety of artificial fragrances as a means of making the product more appealing and tolerable to the senses. The list of aroma-producing chemicals used for this purpose is enormous — over 1,500 — and you’ll rarely see the actual chemical name of a fragrance on a label, as many chemicals are grouped together under the umbrella term “artificial fragrance.”

Cancer, nervous system disorders, allergies, and birth defects are some of the shocking concerns that have been linked to artificial fragrance. [4] It shouldn’t be surprising that an increasing number of public places are now banning their use.

3. Oxybenzone

Oxybenzone and avobenzone function in similar ways, and both are found in the majority of commercial sunscreens. While they do absorb the sun’s rays so they don’t penetrate the skin, they are actually more toxic than avobenzone. This chemical may actually be behind the increased rates of melanoma, the skin cancer that most people are attempting to avoid by using sunscreen! Oxybenzone has been found to lower the birth weight of girls whose mothers’ bodies had high exposure levels. It’s also linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage. [5] [6] [7]

4. Parabens

Parabens are commonly used as preservatives in sunscreen as well as a variety of personal care and beauty products. There are 18 different varieties, and you can easily spot them on most labels because they all contain the word “paraben” in their chemical nomenclature. What makes them dangerous is that they’re estrogen disruptors. Parabens have been associated with infertility, abnormal development of the testes, obesity, asthma, allergies, benign tumors of the uterus or digestive tract, and breast cancer. [8]

5. Vitamin A

Considering that it is a necessary nutrient, it might seem surprising to see vitamin A listed as a concern. The shocking truth is that when vitamin A — often in the form of retinyl palmitate — is exposed to UV light, it creates free radicals that may cause genetic mutations that actually increase cancer risk.

The Solution: Organic and Chemical Free

5 Dangerous Chemicals in Sunscreen 5 Dangerous Chemicals in Conventional SunscreensWhy would anyone who knows of the health risks posed by non-organic sunscreens ever use them? They pose incredible health risks, possibly contributing to the very disease they’re supposed to protect against. The only sane way to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful effects is by using an organic sun protection product that’s made from natural materials, with no chemicals or other dangerous substances.

Please do yourself and your skin a favor by slathering only organic products on your body, for the health of your skin.

Do you wear sunscreen? Do you have a preferred organic brand? Let us know in the comments!

- Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM

References:

Earth Working Group (EWG). Avobenzone. EWG. Fact Sheet.

Karlsson I, Hillerström L, Stenfeldt AL, Mårtensson J, Börje A. Photodegradation of dibenzoylmethanes: potential cause of photocontact allergy to sunscreens. Chemical Research in Toxicology. November 2009. doi: 10.1021/tx900284e.

Kockler J, Robertson S, Oelgemöller M, Davies M, Bowden B, Brittain HG, Glass BD. Butyl methoxy dibenzoylmethane. Profiles Drug Subst Excip Relat Methodol. 2013;38:87:87-111. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-407691-4.00003-4.

Earth Working Group (EWG). Oxybenzone. EWG. Fact Sheet.

do Nascimento DF, Silva AC, Mansur CR, Presgrave Rde F, Alves EN, Silva RS, Ricci-Júnior E, de Freitas ZM, dos Santos EP. Characterization and evaluation of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) nanoparticles containing 2-ethylhexyl-p-methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, and benzophenone-3 in anti-solar preparations. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. September 2012. PMID: 23035447.

Cameron GJ Hayden, Michael S Roberts, Heather AE Benson. Systemic absorption of sunscreen after topical application. The Lancet. September 2, 1997. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)62032-6.

Earth Working Group (EWG). Browsing 18 ingredients (parabens). EWG. Fact Sheet.

Crinnion WJ. Toxic effects of the easily avoidable phthalates and parabens. Alternative Medicine Review. September 15, 2010. PMID: 21155623.

Earth Working Group (EWG). Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate). EWG. Fact Sheet.