Could Sunscreen Actually Cause Skin Cancer?
We know that sun exposure (without burning) can provide protection against melanoma. We also know that sunscreens offer no protection. But could they actually cause cancer?
The evidence is affirmative. To begin with, the greatest rise in melanoma has been found in countries where sunscreens are used the most.7 Of course, this only establishes a correlation. To identify a a causal relationship, we have to dig deeper.
Here are four reasons why sunscreen can actually cause skin cancer (and other forms of cancer too).
1 – Sunscreen Blocks Your Production of Protective Melanin
Melanin is the pigment in your skin that is responsible for the tanning response. It is also inversely correlated with the amount of DNA damage that occurs due to excessive UV radiation.8 In other words, the tan produced by sunlight protects your skin from damage.
Sunscreen blocks your skin from producing this protective pigment. It prevents your body from employing its natural defense against overexposure to sunlight – a tan. If you use sunscreen regularly, you are more likely to burn without it.
There is no evidence that tanning is a risk factor for any disease. However, there is a lot of evidence that tanned skin – particularly during childhood and adolescence – provides protection against melanoma.9,10,11
#2 – Sunscreen Blocks Your Production of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is highly protective against internal cancers. That’s why people who live closest to the equator (where UV exposure is higher) have lower rates of colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancers. But it also protects against melanoma. In lab experiments, vitamin D has been shown to cause melanoma cells to self-destruct.12,13
Vitamin D is critical to your body’s anti-cancer defense system. And sunscreen virtually eliminates its production. A sunscreen with an SPF of 8 reduces your ability to produce vitamin D by more than 95 percent. A sunscreen with an SPF of 15 reduces vitamin D production by more than 99 percent.14
It is beyond the scope of this article, but there are at least seven distinct ways that vitamin D fights and prevents cancer. We document these in detail in the book we published with Dr. Al Sears, Your Best Health Under the Sun.
#3 – The Chemicals in Sunscreen Promote Cancer
Most commercial sunscreens use chemicals to absorb UV light. Unfortunately, most of these chemicals are carcinogenic. That means they’ve been proven to cause cancer – the very thing these products claim to protect against!
One of the most common chemicals used in sunscreen is known as PABA or padimate-O. PABA is essentially harmless in the dark. However, exposure to UV light causes it to attack the DNA within your cells.15,16
One study that proved this was published in Mutation Research. It showed that when sunscreen containing padimate-O was used, it increased DNA damage 75-fold compared to the absence of sunscreen.17 Another study in Great Britain looked at the tendency of PABA to induce genetic mutation.18 The researchers stated:
“Chemically speaking, it is identical to an industrial chemical that generates free radicals when illuminated… Our results suggest that some sunscreens could, while preventing sunburn, contribute to sunlight-related cancers.”
And of course, this is just one of the common chemicals within sunscreen. There are at least half a dozen others that have been proven to promote cancer and disrupt your hormones.
Some of these chemicals mimic the effects of estrogen in the body. This can also promote tumor growth and speed the spread of cancer. And that’s not all. These gender benders can also cause a decline in male sperm count, trigger early puberty in girls, lower fertility in women and induce feminine characteristics in men.
A Swiss study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found five sunscreen chemicals that behave like estrogen:19
Octyl-dimethyl-PABA (OD-PABA)
Benzophenone-3 (Bp-3)
Homosalate (HMS)
Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC)
4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC)
In laboratory testing, all of these chemicals cause cancer cells to grow more rapidly. And they can have a synergistic effect when they’re combined. Two “weak” estrogen-mimics can produce a very strong response. These chemicals also penetrate the skin and enter the blood. That means they can exert their toxic influences throughout the body.20 Especially when you follow your dermatologist’s advice to apply generous amounts every two hours!
#4 – Sunscreen Does Not Block All the Rays of the Sun
For several decades, most sunscreens only blocked UVB rays. These are the rays that produce vitamin D. They are also the rays that cause sunburn. By blocking these rays, you could stay out in the sun for hours without burning.
But what the sunscreen manufacturers didn’t tell you is that their products did nothing to block UVA rays. While UVA rays don’t cause sunburn, they do penetrate deep into your skin. Prolonged exposure to UVA can cause cellular damage. It is also associated with wrinkles, premature aging… and skin cancer.21,22
Without sunscreen, it would be difficult to stay in the sun long enough for UVA to cause damage. You would start to get sunburned. And for your own protection, you would either cover up or go indoors. But sunscreen “short circuits” your body’s natural protection instinct. This allows you to stay in the sun for long periods of time, fully exposed to UVA radiation.
Some sunscreen manufacturers now make “broad spectrum” sunscreens. These are supposed to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. But most UVA sunscreens only have a sun protection factor (SPF) of about 4. Don’t count on sunscreens to protect you from UVA rays.
Drinking carrot juice can protect your skin from the sun
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Originally Posted by Zippyjuan
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