everyone says that daily sunscreen use is a non-negotiable if you want to protect your skin from cancer but after years of studying toxicology and analyzing sunscreen ingredients and thousands of other chemicals for safety I've come to a very different conclusion some of the most common ingredients in conventional sunscreens don't just fail to protect you they may actually be harming your health that includes ingredients that have been linked to hormone disruption increased oxidative stress and even accelerated tumor growth under sunlight exposure so if you're someone who's health consscious navigating hormonal issues or raising kids you need to hear this i'm Dr ivon Burkart a PhD toxicologist with over 23 years of experience studying the effects of toxic chemicals and in this video I'm breaking down six of the biggest things I wish I knew before using sunscreen every day and more importantly I will show you how to find safer options so keep watching the number one thing I wish I knew is that some ingredients can actually promote skin cancer this one is really shocking because that's the exact opposite of what sunscreen is supposed to do retinyl palmitate is a synthetic form of vitamin A that's often added to sunscreens for its so-called anti-aging benefits you'll see it often promoted as helping to reduce wrinkles or even to improve the texture of your skin but here is what is most shocking when exposed to sunlight retinyl palmitate becomes highly unstable breaks down into free radicals which are extremely reactive these free radicals damage DNA and lipids as well as proteins accelerate skin aging and may even increase the risk of tumor formation over time in fact studies show that retinyl pommitate when applied to the skin and exposed to sunlight generates reactive oxygen species or ROS and lipid peroxides two wellestablished drivers of oxidative stress and photocarcinogenesis which is the formation of cancer in response to sunlight what's even more concerning is that animal studies conducted by the National Toxicology Program found that mice whose skin was treated with retinol palmitate and exposed to sunlight simulated sunlight developed significantly more skin tumors than those animals who were not exposed to the same ingredient but still had the simulated sunlight but yet somehow this ingredient is still included in countless mainstream products including sunscreens which are marketed for daily use so if you're using sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun this is the exact type of ingredient that undermines your goal so remember to always check the ingredients list retinyl palmitate has no place in a product that is designed to be worn in direct sunlight in my opinion number two sunscreen chemicals are absorbed into the bloodstream when you apply them to your skin and the problem is that when chemicals are absorbed into your bloodstream they can travel systemically throughout your body leading to damage basically anywhere that they come in contact so this is not something to be taken lightly the FDA conducted a randomized clinical trial that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and found that sunscreen active ingredients are systemically absorbed this study mentioned that all six of the tested active ingredients that were administered in four different sunscreen formulations were systemically absorbed and had plasma concentrations that quote surpassed the FDA threshold for potentially waving some of the additional safety studies for sunscreens these sunscreens are found in pretty much any mainstream sunscreen product they are avoenzone oxyenzone octoryline homoalate octoalate and octinoxate combined with the fact that there is evidence for endocrine disruption and neurotoxicity for several of these chemicals and that the amount that enters the blood exceeds FDA thresholds I would classify these as hazardous especially to children and pregnant women but don't worry because we'll go over the safer options later on in this video another thing I wish I had known sooner is that fragrance-free is definitely not a guarantee of safety because many sunscreens even those that are labeled as free of fragrance can still actually contain hidden fragrance chemicals that are often used to mask an unpleasant chemical odor these are often listed under vague terms like fragrance perfume or aroma which are protected by law as trade secrets that means that companies are not required to tell you exactly what's in the formula even if those compounds carry health risks like endocrine disruption and carcinogenicity which we know are used in fragrances and most people associate fragrance concerns with allergic reactions or skin irritation but from a toxicologist perspective there is a much deeper issue here certain fragrance compounds have been classified as endocrine disrupting chemicals which means they interfere with your body's hormonal balance which is especially concerning when you have repeated exposure over time such as with daily sunscreen use particularly for children and pregnant women for example lillly is a commonly used fragrance compound has been banned by the European Chemicals Agency due to concerns of toxicity to reproduction sensitization and endocrine disruption but it is still allowed in the US other ingredients like lmonine and citral which are known skin sensitizers that can trigger allergic reactions particularly when used chronically are some of the most common fragrance ingredients that you can find and this isn't just theoretical an epidemiological study found that adolescent girls who regularly use cosmetics in skincare products like sunscreen had significantly higher levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals in their urine compared to those who didn't so clearly it's the daily use of these beauty products including sunscreens that's leading to an increase in endocrine disruptors in the body of young girls and in case you didn't realize when young girls are going through puberty their bodies are rapidly changing and the cells are rapidly dividing which means that any amount of endocrine disruption is like throwing a wrench in the works it's like disastrous when ingredients are not disclosed to consumers they cannot assess the exposure risk especially when these products are applied over large surface areas and have endocrine disruption concerns so we basically have no idea what we're being exposed to unless we can understand the ingredients in that product this is why ingredient transparency is critical because if a product says that it's fragrance-free we can't assume that it's free from fragrance chemicals altogether so of course be sure to check the full ingredients list because perfume can mean a blend of dozens if not hundreds of undisclosed compounds the number four thing I wish I knew is that aerosol sunscreens are a breathing hazard so spray sunscreens come with a hidden risk that is rarely discussed which is inhalation toxicity when you spray sunscreen you're not just applying it to your skin you are literally creating a cloud and a mist of aerosolized chemicals that linger in the air around where you are right around your body and this contains fine particles but not only that they spread far from the source they're inhaled especially when you're spraying in closed quarters or even with outdoors and there's wind carrying these chemicals elsewhere your body processes them much differently through your airways than through the skin the route of inhalation is by far much more sensitive in terms of toxic injury compared to skin or topical application of a product so if you're applying a sunscreen cream with the same ingredients it can have an entirely different response in your body than if it were a spray or aerosolized product that you are inhaling into your lungs because what you inhale can quickly enter your bloodstream and your brain depending on the type of chemical that it is and again we need to protect our airways at all costs and if you've ever been at the beach or the pool and suddenly caught a whiff of someone's sunscreen from like I don't know 30 feet away you will know exactly what I'm talking about the problem is that many of these sunscreen ingredients have never been evaluated for inhalation safety but they really should your lungs are not designed to metabolize propellants or suspended nano particles and once those chemicals enter your bloodstream through your respiratory tract there is no filtering or breaking down like there is in your digestive tract because it's bypassing first pass metabolism which is basically liver detoxification so the risk is especially concerning for children pregnant women or anyone with asthma or any type of compromised respiratory function or problem plus let's not forget about the massive recall of thousands of aerosol products like deodorant hairspray and dry shampoo a couple of years ago because of benzene contamination which was likely carried in through the aerosol propellants and don't forget that benzene is a human carcinogen in fact a study published in the journal of analytical toxicology showed that common aerosol propellants like propane and butane can be detected in the blood indicating systemic absorption after inhalation another study found that butane inhalation can cause cardiac arrhythmias and even death in extreme cases even at lower doses inhalation of butane propane isobutane all of these petroleum derived propellants that are commonly found in spray sunscreens and aerosol products can cause central nervous system suppression symptoms like dizziness drowsiness and even arrhythmias and of course it's not just the propellants because many of these aerosol sunscreens can also contain nano particles like titanium dio dioxide and zinc oxide nano particles which become airborne during application so definitely I would not spray these around my face or around my child's face because inhalation of these particles has been shown to cause inflammation and oxidative stress in rat lung tissue according to a review in the journal particle and fiber toxicology so from a toxicology standpoint the takeaway is simple what you breathe in matters more than what you're applying to your skin so take caution and avoid aerosols number five thing I wish I knew is that lifestyle sun protection is just as important this is something I didn't fully appreciate in my 20s sunscreen isn't your only line of defense against the sun we've been conditioned to believe that SPF is the one and only answer but in reality there are science-backed lifestyle strategies that can dramatically reduce sun exposure and the damage caused by sun exposure and they don't require layering on synthetic chemicals every single day like we've been taught as a toxicologist I always recommend taking a two-pronged dual approach so first support your body externally and internally the more we can minimize relying on chemical filters the more we can reduce our exposure without compromising protection and here's what that looks like first avoid sunlight during peak hours since UV radiation is the strongest between 10:00 a.m and 4 pm so getting sunlight before 10 a.m is amazing not only for overall health and setting your circadian rhythm but you're also helping to avoid getting sunburn and long-term skin damage by getting sunlight before 10:00 a.m second wear protective clothing think of this as basically wearing actual physical sun blockers so long sleeve shirts widebrim hats think of clothing as wearable sunscreen also avoiding the sun right or using physical shade if it's an umbrella going under a tree a covered patio these significantly reduce the obviously the UV intensity and when combined with protective clothing are even better you can also eat antioxidantrich foods because what we eat is one of the most important tools for our health oxidative stress is a key mechanism behind UV induced skin damage and ultimately cancer and your diet actually plays a powerful role in how your skin responds to sunlight certain nutrients can actually help your skin to buffer UV exposure reduce inflammation and support tissue repair here are some evidencebacked options first tomatoes which are high in lycopine this has been shown to reduce UV induced skin redness leafy greens like spinach and kale which provide lutein and zeazanthin that support skin barrier function as well as our eyes pumpkins carrots sweet potatoes and mangoes also papaya these are loaded with beta carotene which actually can accumulate in the skin and offer photoprotective effects berries especially blackberries are full of polyphenols that reduce UV induced inflammation and oxidative damage and these are known as anthocyanins so these lifestyle strategies don't just replace sunscreen but they can help to reduce your reliance on some of these chemical exposures in in terms of synthetic UV filters and also help to build your skin's natural resilience to sunlight from the inside out and this isn't about fear we are creating a balanced evidence-based strategy that protects your health long term number six thing I wish I knew is that there are better sunscreen options and I'm going to show you how to find them at this point you might be wondering "So what the heck do I use instead?" If you're telling me that most stuff out there is not good I totally get it because once you start looking into the ingredients in conventional sunscreens it's easy to feel overwhelmed and frustrated but here is the good news there are safer well- formulated alternatives out there and you just need to know how to identify them so let's get into how number one choose mineral sunscreens with nonnano zinc oxide as the only active ingredient zinc oxide is a physical UV blocker that sits on the surface of the skin and reflects UVA and UVB rays it doesn't absorb them unlike chemical filters do it's photostable it's non-erritating and pretty much widely considered as one of the safest sunscreen activives just make sure that it is labeled as nonnano which means the particles will not get absorbed into your skin and they'll actually stay on your skin's surface and this is really important because studies show that nano zinc oxide crosses the skin barrier number two avoid fillers and filters like oxyenzone octinoxate and retinyl palmitate as well as aobenzone homoalate and octtoalate some of these ingredients have been linked to endocrine disruption activity meaning that they can interfere with our hormone balance even at low concentrations oxyenzone in particular has been associated with reproductive and developmental effects and is known to be absorbed systemically through the skin so it has in general been phased out but you might still find products out there with this on the ingredients list so stay vigilant these chemical sunscreens have also been implicated in photoallergic contact dermatitis which basically causes your skin to react after sun exposure which is exactly what sunscreen is supposed to prevent number three remember to skip the sprays and instead go for lotions creams or sticks as we mentioned earlier sunscreen in aerosol form increases your risk of inhaling these chemicals not only the activives but also the propellants and the other ingredients in there not only that but aerosol sunscreens are notoriously difficult to get an even coverage so you'll probably end up spraying half the bottle and still not getting the same level of coverage as you could get with a solid formulation like a cream or a stick plus sticks are the easiest and least messy option for kids to apply on themselves and my kids actually love them so number four tip is to look for third-party verifications and always full ingredient transparency so I always encourage consumers to choose sunscreens that list every single ingredient no proprietary blends no vague undisclosed fragrance or perfume third party certifications can also help because they help to verify safety claims and manufacturing standards some claims that are more legitimate are USDA certified organic so look for sunscreens that are made with organic ingredients and it will usually list with an asterisk any ingredients that are organic even if the entire product is not certified and also Cosmos Eosert is another reliable certification that you can look for you can also look for organic ingredients like aloe vera shea butter and beeswax number five tip for choosing a safer sunscreen is to choose one with fewer ingredients a simple formulation is always better look for a minimalist formula with non-nano zinc oxide no chemical fillers no added fragrance these are usually your safest options and you don't need a mile long ingredient list to get reliable sun protection it's just not needed my favorite sunscreens for the face are tinted so they don't make me look like a ghost and I have tried several brands and of course some work better than others my favorite sunscreen for the body is tallow based and no it doesn't make me spell smell like beef and I love that it comes in a glass jar so I'll go ahead and link my favorites down below in the description remember this is not about fear it is about making informed evidence-based decisions and understanding which ingredients raise toxicological concerns how to reduce unnecessary exposures and of course how to protect your health without falling for marketing or claims products that sound clean but actually aren't and if you're looking to lower your toxic burden then be sure to check out these videos if this was helpful I'd love for you to subscribe because I share weekly content that helps you lower your toxic burden make safer and smarter choices for yourself and all the people you care about so thanks so much for watching and I'll see you on the next video