This summer most of us have spent most of our time inside but with the pandemic waning for many people are going to come out and may start enjoying domestic tourism as well. But protecting yourself from the sun is an important part of safety.
Sunscreen is an important layer of protection against sun rays induced damage to skin. But it has been a concern since long that certain component of sunscreen cream may not be good for health.
Read the content of your sunscreen before you decide to use it.
Valisure is an online pharmacy that tests every batch of medication they sell. They recently found that 40 batches of sunscreens and after-sun products they tested had high levels of the chemical benzene. These products are from 69 companies. Many of these are major international brands like Neutrogena and Banana Boat. Some batches contained Benzene three times higher than the FDA limit of 2 parts per million (ppm).
Long-term exposure to benzene is known to cause cancer in humans.
This is especially concerning because sunscreen ingredients can be absorbed in the blood and can lead to systemic toxicity.
As the total mass of sunscreen required to cover and protect the human body, in single daily application or repeated applications may mean that even benzene at 0.1 ppm in a sunscreen could expose people to excessively high amounts of benzene.
We need to realize that sunscreen isn’t the only way to protect skin. But we do not take enough steps to protect ourselves from harmful rays of sun.
Sun rays can lead to squamous cancer and melanoma.
How to Stay Sun-Safe
A few simple precautions can lower risk of skin cancer while using as little sunscreen as possible:
- Shade It would be wise to stay out of the sun completely during the peak hours. If you have to be outside, shade offers some protection. But at the beach, the sun’s UV rays bounce off the sand all around you. Shade alone won’t shield you.
- Sun-protective clothing. Wear a broad hat and sunglasses, ideally with UV protection, and a lightweight, long-sleeved shirt and pants. You do not need to apply sunscreen in the part which is covered by clothing.
- Sunscreen. Although, there are concerns but it doesn’t mean you should skip this important layer of protection. It is important to note that not all sunscreen products contain benzene and that uncontaminated products are available, we need to read the content on the packaging.
- Using a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapply every 2 hours or after swimming or sweating. This decreases the risk of skin cancer by 40% and risk of melanoma by 50%.