Given the long list of ingredients in our sunscreens, it’s not easy to find your way around! What are the ingredients to choose, and which ones to avoid?
At present, scientific data are lacking to prove the harmlessness or, on the contrary, the dangerousness of certain substances. Consequently, associations such as Générations guinea pigs believe that consumers are worryingly exposed to potentially toxic substances.
Endocrine disruptors and other carcinogens
For aesthetic reasons or to improve sun protection, ingredients are added to the long list of sunscreens. Parabens, for example, are substances added to cosmetics for their preservative effect. But their toxicity is no longer to be proven: they are endocrine disruptors likely to bind to estrogen receptors and cause hormonal disorders harmful to fertility. It is therefore better to opt for a “paraben-free” sunscreen, especially since there are more and more of them.
Retinyl Palmitate (or vitamin A Palmitate) should also be ruled out. It is an antioxidant molecule, which prevents aging of the skin and therefore acts as an anti-aging agent. The catch is that this substance is potentially carcinogenic to the skin when it is present in too much quantity. Again, it’s best to avoid this ingredient and just make sure you’re getting enough vitamin A through your diet.
Benzophenones, including oxybenzone, are also potentially harmful ingredients. They are used to make creams transparent, rather than leaving the skin white after application. More absorbed by the skin, these molecules are likely to have toxic and estrogenic effects, which, again, cause hormonal imbalances. Camphor-based molecules, used as sun filters, are also likely endocrine disruptors, found in breast milk.
Finally, some creams now contain chemical sun filters in addition to physical filters. Chemical sunscreens work after 15 to 30 minutes, where a classic physical filter works upon application.
But physical filter creams can also have drawbacks. To avoid the “white streak” effect on application, sunscreen manufacturers have succeeded in reducing the size of molecules (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) to avoid this inconvenience. These two compounds are therefore sometimes present in the form of nanoparticles, capable of passing through the skin and causing cancer.
Naturally, sunscreens with an organic certification are devoid of all of these potentially harmful ingredients.
UVA, UVB and protection index
And the index UV ? There is no scientific evidence that validates filters with an index greater than 50. It is therefore not necessary to opt for a index higher, an index of 30 or 50 being largely sufficient to protect the skin. Finally, it is better to choose an anti-UVA and anti-UVB cream, because these two types of ultraviolet rays are involved in the risk of skin cancer. UVA rays cause lesions deep in the dermis, which leads to skin aging, while UVB rays, which are more powerful, are responsible for sunburn.
Ingredients to avoid
Parabens (metylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, propylparaben)
Retinyl palmitate
Oxybenzone (BP-3 or BZ-3)
Octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC)
Benzophenones (BP-1, BP-2, BP-3 or BZ-3, Escalol 567, Uvinul M40, Uvasorb Met, ethylhexyl methoxycinnate, oxtionoxate)
3-benzylidene camphor (3-BC)
4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4-MBC)
The ingredients to favor
Parsol 1789 (or avobenzone)
Octocrylene
Mexoryl (SX and XL)
Tonosorb (or bemotrizonol)
Ingredients to watch out for
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in the form of nanoparticles
The right actions to protect yourself from the sun
Whatever your relationship to the sun, it is strongly recommended not to expose yourself between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is highest in the sky. Very white skins like darker skins should opt for sufficient sun protection, and renew the application regularly, especially after a bath and even if the cream is water resistant. And for children, t-shirts and hats are more essential than ever.
Read also :
Sun protection index: consumers do not understand their meaning
Skin cancer: she shows her disfigured face to raise awareness of the risks of UV rays
Preparation for the sun: food supplements are our allies
