All About Sunscreen

You may have seen sunscreen in the news after a government-funded study found that twelve common active ingredients may be absorbed into the bloodstream. Only six of the studied ingredients are commonly used in the United States: ensulizole, octisalate, homosalate, octocrylene, octinoxate, oxybenzone, and avobenzone. The study’s author noted that just because ingredients get absorbed doesn’t make them harmful or unsafe; we don’t know enough about these ingredients to deem them as such. All this small pilot study tells us is that these ingredients may enter the body in levels greater than previously understood. The American Academy of Dermatology commented that these ingredients have been used for several decades without any reported side effects in people, so it’s not time to ditch your sunscreen supply (unless it’s expired)! We can soon expect sunscreen manufacturers to fund research to fill knowledge [...]