Do Sunscreens Contain Dangerous Chemicals?

Although sunscreen is an essential means of skin protection at the beach, every year social media posts claim that it is toxic and dangerous.

On X, a post viewed 1.2 million times alleged that melanoma cases “began to rise sharply” after the creation of sunscreen, insisting that people blame “the sun rather than the toxic chemicals in sunscreen.”

There are two main types of skin cancer: non-melanoma skin cancer and melanoma. Although melanoma is less common, it is the most serious due to its potential to spread quickly.

The number of melanoma cases in Europe may be rising, but this is not linked to sunscreen use. “There is no evidence whatsoever that sunscreen causes skin cancer; this is simply not true,” Dr. Anjali Tevari, spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, told Euronews.

“Most melanomas arise from chronic sun exposure and sunburn. People can protect themselves from sunburn by limiting time in the sun, wearing appropriate clothing, and using suitable sunscreens,” Dr. Tevari added.

Another post on X, viewed nearly 50,000 times, showed a chart claiming a correlation between rising skin cancer rates in Connecticut and the United States and the introduction of sunscreens containing certain ingredients.

A representative of the Connecticut Department of Public Health told Euronews that “the chart does accurately reflect actual cancer incidence trend data, but the addition of text boxes to highlight the introduction of different sunscreens was not created by us.”

A 2023 study published by the charity Melanoma Focus found that half of UK adults consider sunscreens too expensive, and 67% would use them more often if they were cheaper. Experts raised concerns that the price of sunscreen may discourage people from protecting themselves.

Sunscreens contain several ingredients that act as filters, including natural, mineral, and chemical filters.

Some internet users claim that chemicals such as oxybenzone and octocrylene make sunscreens unsafe, alleging that these substances can disrupt hormones.

“These claims stem from data published several years ago, which raised concerns that oxybenzone could lead to hormonal imbalance,” Dr. Tevari explained.

Although some studies showed hormonal changes in rats fed oxybenzone, a 2017 article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology noted that a human would need to use sunscreen for 277 years to experience a comparable effect.

“Sunscreens have existed since the 1930s, and their filters have changed significantly since then, based on research and new evidence. If you look at major brands today, many no longer use filters such as oxybenzone,” Dr. Tevari added.

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