You tell me what you think. The sunscreen myth: How sunscreen products actually promote cancer

Some of it I believe, but not all of it. Sure, most contain ingredients that are carcinogens. We use such things all the time and maybe should think twice, but the risk is small.

Conspiracy? Give me a break. Vitamins to prevent sunburn? You try it, not me.

I think that the biggest benefit to sunscreen is the prevention of skin cancer. I believe it does that.

Cathleen

I don't buy it. I use sunscreen all year long. Even in the dead of winter.

I use sunscreen all year long too. You can find sunscreens that are pure and natural that don't contain chemicals (jason, aubrey organics, uv natural) I plan on purchasing one of those brands once I use up what I already have.

I dont belive it. Look at all those WW2 vets who didnt have sunscreen while they served in the hot sun, they are having cancerous moles removed now. It seems like almost everyone has skin cancer to some degree at some point in their life.

I have read that you should get about 20 or 30 min per day of sunlight, no sunscreen, for Vit D. Dr Oz on Oprah one time showed how beneficial lycopene is in preventing sun damage. It wouldn't surprise me if the ingredients did more harm than good.

The Dr I used to work for would prescribe meds based on what "gifts" the pharmaceutal reps would bring in for him. One time when a rep that worked for an acid reflux company wouldn't give the Dr hockey tickets anymore, he banned them from the office and quit writing for that drug. Nice.

To some degree I believe it, yes.

Sunscreen prevents Vit D synthesis, and many diseases are now being linked to vit D deficiencies (including cancer). So, you are using sunscreen to prevent one kind of cancer while promoting all sorts of others. So, my take is to get out in the sun for 15 min a day w/o sunscreen and use it to prevent burns for longer periods of time. Those that promote this still say to do it before 10 AM or after...I think it was 3 or 4 PM? You can always supplement vit D too (D3 is the best form). I do this on cloudy days and winter.

And those WW2 vets...were they getting the proper nutrition to prevent cancer? That's an essential part of the equation.

I'm reading a book right now. About our food supply / government standards / health care and so forth (sorry, I've forgotten the name and it is downstairs ) and, if this book is correct, it is amazing how many things we are told that are not based on science but more on the lobbyiests that are pushing whatever product that is being sold.

I'm not going to completely get rid of my sunscreen - me and the kids are way to fair for that. But maybe I will look more more natural products -- or at least investigate a bit more what is in the stuff that I currently am. I did find the part of eating more carrots and blueberries (I think) in the article interesting and will research a bit more.

Frightening.

I believe that you do need some exposure to sun without sunscreen in order to get enough vitamin D. I'm not overzealous about applying sunscreen on my kids unless I think they'll get too much sun. If they're just playing outside for 20 minutes or so, I don't bother. If they're at the pool or outside mid-day, I lather it on. They've never had a sunburn.

On the flip side, I wouldn't want to rely on vitamins or "my internal sunscreen" for a day at the beach in July. That seems a little crazy. I think a happy medium is the best way to go.

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