The Obsession With ‘Toxic’ Ingredients Has Started A Dangerous Lie About Sunscreen. Here’s What To Know.

It’s hard to miss the chatter on social media that refers to sunscreen as “toxic.” It, unfortunately, goes hand-in-hand with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s so-called Make America Healthy Again initiative and its obsession with “harmful chemicals” and “toxins.”

People are really afraid of these “damaging toxins” — and who could blame them when there’s so much fear-mongering out there? The MAHA crowd is peddling misinformation on everything from food dyes to seed oils. (For the record, seed oils can be good for your heart, and food dyes are generally safe, especially since they are usually used in small quantities.)

Sunscreen is also a subject of online misinformation, and while there are certain sunscreen ingredients that are closely monitored, using sunscreen is still better than the alternative, which is the risk of skin cancer from harmful sun rays.

“When people ask me which is riskier — sunscreen or the sun — the answer is always the same: the sun, hands down,” Dr. Oma Agbai, a board-certified dermatologist and health sciences associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, Davis, told HuffPost.

Below, experts share their honest thoughts on sunscreen, whether it’s “toxic,” the best sunscreens out there and additional sun protection methods to keep you safe.

Research shows that exposure to the sun’s rays is the top cause of skin cancer. “[The sun’s rays] damage DNA in skin cells and contribute to all major forms of skin cancer, including melanoma,” Agbai said.

“Minimizing the exposure of people’s skin to the sun has a strong impact in reducing the skin cancer prevalence,” said Dr. Vlad Codrea, an assistant professor and director of Mohs micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology at West Virginia University Medicine.

So, it’s important to protect yourself from the sun to reduce your skin cancer risk.

Not only does sun exposure increase your skin cancer risk, but it also causes skin issues like wrinkles and age spots, said Annie Christenson, a medical aesthetician at Houston Methodist Hospital. While these cosmetic problems aren’t as serious, most folks would rather avoid them.

Wearing sunscreen is a great way to lower your risk of skin cancer and skin damage, but experts say there are additional steps you can take to keep yourself safe from the sun.

You can stay inside when possible, Codrea said — this is especially true when the sun’s rays are at their strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It’s also a good idea to wear protective clothing like sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats and sun-protective clothing, he said.

“[Sun-protective] clothing is rated for its ability to block the sun,” explained Codrea.

“There is a rating called ultraviolet protection factor, or UPF, which certain brands advertise for their clothing, and it tells you how well they’re able to keep the sun rays out,” he said. You can find UPF clothing in outdoor apparel stores and online, and it’s available for kids and adults.

Social media is awash with at-home, DIY alternatives for lots of things, including sunscreen. Just last summer, a social media user posted a viral video in which she said drinking watermelon juice can provide you with sun protection. This is not true.

The same goes for any other DIY sunscreen “alternatives,” such as shea butter, which is often promoted on social media.

No concoction is a replacement for sunscreen. No mixture will protect you from the sun’s rays other than sunscreen.

“So-called natural alternatives like coconut oil or shea butter do not provide meaningful sun protection and shouldn’t be used as substitutes,” said Agbai.

“The only ‘natural’ ingredients that provide reliable UV protection are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, both found in mineral sunscreens,” she added.

The warnings about the ingredients in sunscreen do come from somewhere, but they aren’t as dangerous as social media makes them out to be.

“There’s a lot of misinformation online, but sunscreen is not toxic,” said Agbai.

“While some sunscreen ingredients like oxybenzone have been detected in the bloodstream, that doesn’t mean they’re harmful. What the science shows is that these ingredients are absorbed in small amounts, but there’s no proof that this causes any health risks in humans,” Agbai added.

Nonetheless, the FDA continuously studies these ingredients out of caution, Agbai noted.

“There are ingredients that the FDA has called for more research into because the data is not clear yet regarding some ingredients, and this may be what social media influencers may be referring to — and there is a sense of uncertainty based on this,” Dr. Arlene Ruiz De Luzuriaga, a dermatologist at the University of Chicago Medicine, told HuffPost via email.

“However, based on current available information, there are two ingredients, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, that the FDA considers … ‘generally recognized as safe and effective,’ or GRASE,” said Ruiz De Luzuriaga.

So if you do want a “cleaner” sunscreen option, mineral sunscreen is a good one, Agbai noted — just make sure it’s SPF 30 or above and broad-spectrum. “That’s your best bet for both protection and peace of mind,” Agbai said.

Codrea noted that while he can’t guarantee that current ingredients in any sun protection product won’t be removed in the future, he does trust that zinc oxide sunscreens have a long track record of being safe.

“I personally advise patients to use zinc oxide sunscreens,” Codrea said, adding that he thinks they’re the safest option out there when it comes to safety and chemical exposure.

The zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sunscreens are known as physical (or mineral) sunscreens, while other sunscreens are known as chemical sunscreens, said Christenson.

The main difference between them is “chemical sunscreens do have chemicals in them to help protect us against the sun, and what those do is they basically absorb the sun into them and don’t let them enter into our skin,” Christenson explained.

“A physical sunscreen, actually, which we know is generally a zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, [the sun’s rays] bounce off of that,” she said, which also helps keep you cooler. So, it’s a win-win.

“I prefer a physical sunscreen if you can use one, and honestly, you’re not using the chemicals, so therefore they could be healthier in one’s mind, if you’re thinking down that route,” Christenson said.

“The benefits of sunscreen are crystal clear. We have decades of solid research showing that regular sunscreen use protects the skin from sunburn, slows premature aging, and most importantly, lowers the risk of skin cancer,” Agbai said.

“We’ve also seen that consistent sunscreen use lowers the risk of melanoma over time,” she added.

And this is the case no matter your skin tone. “It’s true that people with darker skin tones have more natural melanin, which provides some protection against UV damage. As a result, the risk of developing skin cancer is significantly lower, but it’s not zero,” Agbai said.

She said skin cancer is often diagnosed later, in a more advanced stage, in folks with darker skin.

Sunscreen is continuously tested for safety, and that goes for both physical (mineral) sunscreens and chemical sunscreens, said Christenson.

Your preference is the most important factor when it comes to which type you select. “The best sunscreen is the sunscreen that you’re going to use,” Christenson noted.

“In addition, if a person has sensitive skin, they should consider a product that says it is for sensitive skin (these are typically those that contain mineral-based ingredients),” Ruiz De Luzuriaga said. Those with acne-prone skin should look for “non-comedogenic” sunscreens, which won’t clog your pores, she added.

“Don’t let fear-based headlines or viral posts steer you away from what we know works. When it comes to skin care, science — not social media — should guide your decisions,” said Agbai.

“Sunscreen saves lives, and we should treat it like the powerful tool it is,” Agbai said.