We can’t use normal sun cream?! Feel like everything is ‘bad’ for you now!

[whenimetyouinthesummer]

It feels like in the last few years we’ve gone from realising the (obvious) dangers of things like smoking to now, every tiny little thing is ‘bad for you’. We used to have a wood burning stove and had it removed because I saw (on here) about the links to cancer, particularly in children. Stopped using normal deodorant and switched to natural stuff because I read it wasn’t good for you, which really you can’t imagine spraying an aerosol on your skin daily is going to be that great for you. Found it doesn’t really work though and if I’m going to the gym I will end up going back to my old one.

Last week I read an article claiming sun cream is causing skin cancer and not the sun. Dismissed it really but tonight I’ve read an article that’s popped up about mineral sun creams, creating a physical natural barrier to UV rays rather than using chemicals in sun cream to block the rays. It says you should be using these instead of chemical sun creams (all the normal popular ones). Again, makes sense but there doesn’t seem to be all that much research into them yet. What if they don’t actually block the harmful rays? It feels like every single thing is going to end up being labelled as harmful, when all you’re trying to do is protect you/your kids as best you can 🤦🏻‍♀️ Do you go along with these things or think they’re nonsense?

Please don’t listen to anything from Andrew Huberman (on podcast linked above). He may have a scientific background but he’s utterly destroyed his credibility with a lot of the pseudoscience crap he comes out with.

Andrew Huberman is on the quack-ish end too. He constantly cites single studies that don’t stand up to peer review. His business interests are pretty suspect.

The self-help/biohacking podcast universe is really just a promotional circuit for mostly dubiously qualified individuals to promote their monetised world view. Mel Robbins, Diary of a CEO, Huberman, Joe Rogan - all identical.

I think you have to find your own point of compromise and once you have made your decision, choose not to worry about it. Otherwise you could really go down a rabbit hole of anxiety......stress and worry is bad for you too!

So with deodorants, I stopped using aerosol years ago as it made sense to not be inhaling spray chemicals on a daily basis. But I just swapped to a roll on deodorant and I'm comfortable with that (plus roll ons work better anyway!)

With sun cream, I figure applying it when we need to is better than getting sunburn so that's what we do. Plus it's only a few months of the year we need it anyway. If mineral suncream is effective and you can afford it then buy it.

I think it's worth remembering than anything applied to the skin will end up in the bloodstream. Otherwise products like voltarol and HRT patches etc wouldn't work.

Generally speaking I think SPF clothing is better than cream - not because of some major conspiracy about suncream causing cancer but just because it's less hassle and you don't need to worry about missing a spot or having to re-apply all the time.

I work outdoors and have SPF 50 tops that I wear in the summer - the fabric is also designed to help keep you cool and to evaporate your sweat.

I’m translucent and do not burn with mineral sunscreen. There are some good mineral sunscreens but they are expensive!

My face goes red & eyes stream when I use oxybenzone and avobenzone (chemical UV filters) so I need to use mineral on my face, but the rest of my body is getting cheap Altruist.

I have 95% vitiligo all over my body now. my skin does not produce melanin anymore so I will burn and never tan.

sunscreen is vital for me in the summer months, I can burn even in winter and in the shade too.

di mineral sunscreens actually work though, and I’m factor 50. I try and stay out of the sun as much as I can on hot days but it’s impossible sometimes

I thought chemical sun creams were very bad for sea life?

I expect all the things are. Hair dye, cleaning stuff, all the chemicals that humans use, in short. We're not a very sustainable species really, are we?

It’s probably only a matter of time before some research comes along and says mineral sun creams are bad for you because you’re absorbing the minerals or whatever.

https://ocean.si.edu/ecosystems/coral-reefs/truth-about-corals-and-sunscreen

Dr dray is an excellent dermatologist who is very no nonsense I follow her advice. I prefer chemical Spf. Plus mineral isn't great for darker skin tones.

Despite having dark hair, my parents, DB & I all have skin that burns easily. My mum is a child of the 1960s when getting a tan was key to looking good and proving you had a good holiday. She's now got very badly wrinkled, sun damaged skin which she now covers up.

I am that person you see on holiday wearing linens and cottons from my mid calf up to my neck! I wear tops that cover my shoulders and have a hat that claims SPF protection (I got it from a firm in Australia). I do use conventional sun protection products because I am yet to be convinced by the evidence of these mineral sun creams. More research needed, as a pp said.

People do say to me, "I thought you went to (insert hot country here) recently?" because I don't gain much colour!

As for other things that are bad for you I saw this bloke from America on Instagram who claimed fruit gave you diabetes but he was selling some kind of nutrition replacement. So you have to look at why people claim these things.

Never fear OP I have magical scientifically proven snake oil which cures cancer, sunburn and all known ills. Just send $$$$$ to pantsonfire@pants.

Alternatively don't believe everything you read. There is no requirement for research data or peer review on blogs, podcasts or bollocks on the internet.

I remember hearing this on BBCr4 News Quiz - the list of things the Daily fail says cause and cure cancer
https://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=38270.0;wap2

Honestly if you're worried look at Peer reviewed research studies.

Agree with pps, there is some risk with those spray sun cream but more research is needed

Have a look what alcohol does, lots of people know but they drink anyway.

I'm sticking to what I know for now. My mum had several squamous cell carcinomas removed from her face. My dad had a basal cell carcinoma removed from his nose. I wear factor 50 on my face and neck all year round - otherwise I would spend too long dithering over when to switch to factor 50 from a lower SPF! My arms and legs are usually covered anyway.

We have a 24/7 rolling news cycle.
the media cannot put out the headline ‘there might be some danger to using suncream, but we’re not really sure, and the danger might still be lower than not using Suncream at all, you could cover up but if that’s not possible then some mineral sunscreen would also be good but also we haven’t got that much research on that yet either’
but they can put out ‘is your sunscreen dangerous’ and you will click on it, like everyone else, and they make money.

im not saying sunscreen isn’t dangerous either, but just think about where that info is coming to you from.

I really think all these claims on social media are causing a lot of health anxiety that seems very prevalent at the moment.

We used to have a wood burning stove and had it removed because I saw (on here) about the links to cancer, particularly in children.

You had a wood burner removed simply because of some wild claim made by a random stranger on MN ?

The concern that I’ve heard more about is that some of the ingredients in sunscreens can cross the blood-brain barrier. It’s an area that needs looking at.

I think the problem with so much product development is that formulations are released with little knowledge of long-term effects.

There is a fair amount of info out there about this.

This isn't true. If I'm staying vertical I still burn all over (front and back of legs, neck, whole face etc) on anything that isn't covered by clothes if I don't wear sunscreen. Even if out for a run or walk and moving constantly.

I think the sunscreen thing is actually true. Find a zinc based one and you’ll be fine.

The wood burner thing is correct. Even with the door closed they are worse than having people smoking in the room. DH is a chemistry pro and will happily slap on regular sunscreen but he won't have a wood burner in the house.