“Suncream causes cancer…”

I worry about my mum as she lived in hot countries a lot and she doesn’t even cover up, no sunglasses, nothing. I’m glad he didn’t suffer from it. X

It’s such hard thing to quantify eh? The only thing we can do, I believe, is listen to the science laid out in front of us and go with what skin cancer experts say. I think it’s so dangerous to listen to social media, yet so many people do it.

Didn’t know this! Thank you for sharing

Like many conspiracy theories this 'suncream causes cancer' does have some basis in fact, but has become very twisted from those facts. It started in relation to American suncream where it does have some weight. A few years ago they had an issue with suncream and multiple brands had to be recalled because cancer causes chemicals were found.

On top of that, the US classes it as a drug which makes licencing new ingredients very difficult. In Europe it's classified as a cosmetic so new products are easier to bring about. As a result european suncreams are more advanced and protect against UVB and UVA, whereas american ones are older and only protect against UVB (I think, could be the other one). So an American using suncream is more likely to get cancer than their european counterpart, which in conspiracy speak translates as american suncream causes cancer.

Look, it may cause cancer in the sense that it may allow people to think it’s ok to be out in the sun when they should be in the shade.

but otherwise it’s like someone saying that hospitals cause death because so many people who die have used a hospital…

I can see this.
my grandfather had skin cancer at an older age - luckily it was able to be cut out and didn’t require further treatment.

but I fully put it down to the fact he was in Burma in the war - and they weren’t going to pause the war for soldiers to put on suncream

Exactly!

100-200 years ago people weren’t living long enough to get cancer on the scale they currently are. They would die of something else first

They won’t want to do there studies on humans.

Who is "they" @CareerChange24?

There is no evidence that that the most common organic UV filters used in sunscreens cause endocrine disruption in humans. The rodent studies you mention used high oral doses, so as long as you don't chug down gallons of the stuff, you'll be fine😙
I'll take pale over melanoma any day.

They didn't though. I'm 50 and people a few years older than me actually put oil on their skin to "tan" more - so burn
.
Generally if you read something which sounds like bollacks, it is bollacks.

I think you need to delve into the data more. The majority of people who get skin cancers are older and from a generation when it wasn't used. I lost two relatives to melanoma and they did not slap the sunscreen on at all. The problem is people spending more time in the sun trying to get a tan. This wasn't a thing before the 1950s or 60s as people covered up generally.

However, I kind of agree with your point about chemical usage but think it applies also to moisturiser, cleansers, perfumes etc. We are covering our bodies in all sorts of things we don't need.

We now know that we have ingested microplastics and phalates due to drinking and eating things out of plastic containers. We now know these chemicals cause hormone changes in the body. It is important to keep upto date with new info as it comes out. I don't think this is being a conspiracy theorist, it's wanting to know what we are doing to our bodies. As someone who is as pale as a ghost I will continue to use my spf 50 as the risks of me getting skin cancer are higher than the average person. Im not going to dismiss people questioning the chemicals in it though I think it's very valid

Why are you airing this moronic theory?

It's behind ears that cancer is usually found

I'm especially enjoying the people who are so concerned about the "chemicals" in sunscreen and highly recommend a zinc sunscreen instead. That famous non-chemical zinc...not in the periodic table or anything...

I can agree that most people don’t apply enough, and also think that a tablespoon for your face and neck is excessive.

And to clarify, the British association of dermatologist recommendation was half a teaspoon for face and neck. So unless they’re out by a factor of 6 (3 teaspoons in a tablespoon), you don’t need a tablespoon for your face and neck. That’s just an expensive waste.

I said a tablespoon for face AND neck.
Btw google ‘most people don’t apply enough sunscreen’ and read the results. I actually cringe when I see someone rubbing a pea-sized amount on their face, believing they are protected 😕

I get through a lot of sunscreen. But a tablespoon for your face is ridiculous.

The NHS says 6-8 teaspoons for your whole body, and the British Association of Dermatologists says half a teaspoon for your face.
To calculate SPF factor, it is tested at 2milligrams per cm2 of skin (which is roughly where the volumes recommended by NHS and BAD come from).

No you've gone the much worse faux innocence bollocks 🙄

That’s what I mean when I say that people don’t use enough sunscreen. You need much more than you think. If your skin already soaked it up, that’s too bad. I know if you put enough you’ll look greasy but I rather look like that than walk around with hardly enough on me. Trust me, most people have no idea how much we actually need.

Do you know how much a tablespoon is?

It's not even faintly practical to keep children out of the sun all the time and we need sunshine for vitamin D.
Children run around with shorts and short sleeved t shirts on. Some kids have sunsuits, but not all. Probably not older children/teenagers.
No one should believe I was wishing sunburn on anyone, sun cream has been very effective in preventing sunburn. Sunburn is extremely painful and dangerous.
Lots of people saying cover up, stay out of the sun but this is Mumsnet. I'm assuming some of you at least have children/older children and go on holiday to sunny places.

errr stay covered up or out of the sun…who is wishing sunburn on anyone…seriously!

A tablespoon is only enough for your face and neck?? I don’t think a tablespoon would properly rub into my face and neck all in one go, that’s loads. Do you mean a desert spoon?

I've been using coppertone sport mineral sunscreen. It takes some sinking in but did far better in the Caribbean sun than anything I've bought from the UK. I bought it over there so not sure how readily available it is in the UK.

I'd be interested to know what Korean sunscreen @Nearly50omguses. I use erborean cc cream which is fab and heard other good things about Korean skin care

I use Aveeno baby spf50 zinc oxide sunscreen - it’s about £15 a bottle on Amazon

It’s the only one I’ve ever used that doesn’t sting my eyes like a bastard.