Are the Ingredients in Sunscreen Safe?

One of the most recommended products by aestheticians and dermatologists is sunscreen, but the FDA has found that the active chemicals in sunscreen is easily absorbed by the skin. The studies found that although they absorbed into the skin, it cannot be confirmed whether this is safe or not, which means more research needs to be done. The study’s goal was to see if they could find 0.5 nanograms per milliliters of sunscreen chemicals in the blood, which they did. The FDA has already concluded that mineral sunscreens, such as those composed of zinc oxide and titanium oxide, are safe. The one downside to these mineral sunscreens is that they often leave a white cast after application. The study performed by the FDA tested 6 chemical sunscreen ingredients from four different formulations- 3 of which were sprays and one was a lotion. The chemicals that were tested were homosalate, octisalate, octinoxate, avobenzone, octocrylene, and oxybenzone. The participants applied sunscreen over 75% of their body once a day on the first day, and then four times a day for three days. It was found that all six chemicals exceeded the FDA’s 0.5 nanograms per milliliters in the bloodstream, and continued increasing over the course of the experiment. The main takeaway was that they found out how much of these chemicals is getting in the bloodstream, however new studies need to be conducted to find out if this information is relevant or not. This study does not suggest you stop applying sunscreen, however if you are concerned by the outcomes you can always opt for a mineral sunscreen.