Ingredients Used In Sunscreen

Fun in the sun does not come without terms these days. Sunscreen is becoming an essential part of having fun in the sun. The repercussions of not using sunscreen can be quite dire. Even though not using sunscreen can cause lasting harmful effects, some sunscreens can also cause their own harmful effects. Have you ever looked at the ingredients contained in your sunscreen?

Reading the ingredients contained in sunscreens can be a maze if you do not know what you are reading. There are two main types of sunscreen: chemical and physical. Chemical sunscreens contain many ingredients that to the average person, are largely unknown. Sunscreens classified as physical typically have more popular ingredients used in other products such as zinc oxide (also used in diaper rash creams) and titanium dioxide (also used in face masks and day creams).

Studies have shown that some of the ingredients used in sunscreens are harmful. Tri-, Di-, and Mono-ethaloamines can cause liver and kidney cancer. Most FD&C pigments are carcinogenic, according to animal studies, and contain heavy metals which can cause skin irritation. Benzophenones tend to cause skin irritation and because it can behave like estrogen, it can potentially cause hormone imbalance. Salicylates used in sunscreen may cause photosensitivity as well as certain fragrances. Those with asthma should avoid sunscreens with synthetic fragrance due to the fact that some can cause allergies or asthma. Some nitrosating agents including 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol and Lauryl sarcosine have been proven to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone have been shown to dry the skin after application as well.

Even though there are many ingredients that can be harmful to the skin, a consumer must weigh the good with the bad. Just because some of these ingredients have been proven to cause these conditions, it is not clear in what concentrations they were tested. Shown above are just some of the harmful ingredients known to be contained in sunscreens. If we were to do away with all harmful ingredients, however, we would be probably be left with very few options.