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Original poster

To think that sunscreen is toxic?

199 replies

Pitbull · 27/04/2017 20:33

Some women proudly say they wear sunscreen every day even in the winter. But isn't it kind of toxic? If you think about it sunscreen is loaded with chemicals. The ingredient list is full of long, unpronounceable names. Why would you wear it on your face all the time? When I put spf on my face when it's really hot and sunny I obviously avoid the eye and mouth area. Yet, within about twenty minutes my eyes start watering, and I feel a toxic chemical taste in my mouth. Which means it seeps through my pores deeper into the skin and some of it gets into the bloodstream, and via the blood vessels they go everywhere. Yuk. Why would you wear a toxic mix on your face every day?

OP posts:
Gwenhwyfar · 30/04/2017 09:45

"1. You can't cure stupid."

Often it's the most intelligent who get sucked into these things though. I'm not sure why. I remember being on a weekend away (in May!) with someone with a few degrees, one of them from Cambridge, who was trying to avoid the sun, but also refusing to wear sunscreen. Pain in the arse doesn't even cover it.

Gwenhwyfar · 30/04/2017 09:46

Beyond - you used to be able to get something you could put on your hair, haven't seen it around for a while now though.

Gwenhwyfar · 30/04/2017 09:49

"Some of us don't use sunscreens and have no catastrophic results because we stay out of the sun and never get burned or go brown - which is just as good advice. "

Bit of a miserable life to live like a vampire though isn't it? I want some time in the sun for the wellbeing effects.

user1471545174 · 30/04/2017 09:50

User15 that's really interesting, thanks. I am always fascinated by what practitioners will tolerate for their own families as against what is available on the open market.

I will be taking notice of this. SPF galloped away after the 1980s. I remember factor 8 being considered high.

BeyondUser24601 · 30/04/2017 09:52

Other beyond - I either put one of the spray ones in my parting or wear a headscarf. My parting is one of the few places I'm prone to burn - my body generally doesn't

ChristopherWren · 30/04/2017 10:03

It's all very well to say just stay out of the sun but that is so life limiting. I don't lie in the sun (I accepted a long time ago that I'm never going to look tanned and gorgeous!) but I want to be able to go to the beach with my family and build sand castles and swim in the sea. Or go on a boat trip when on holiday. Or a nice walk in the sunshine.
Suncream makes these things possible for me. I feel lucky that I can afford it.

olderthanyouthink · 30/04/2017 10:14

Ah burning on your scalp, you need tog have less boring hair. Mine doesn't have a parting, it moves everyday/during the day and the sun struggles to penetrate the thicket that is on my head. My scalp in ridiculously pale because it never sees the light of day.

Also I've using spf 50 on face because of UVAs aging affects as well as a fairly slim chance of skin cancer. I'm never going to burn in England and am hard pushed to get enough vit D anyway, because i live in the wrong part of the world for my brown skin, so I have a jar of sunshine pills.

I guess white people outdoors all day in this country would be able to get enough vitas but we mostly don't live like that any more so I wouldn't worry about preventing vit D production and just take the pills and slather on the chemicals.

olderthanyouthink · 30/04/2017 10:17

Also for people saying normal use isn't putting it on everyday, in Australia they do and their research into sun team and skin cancer is much further along than ours. I suppose you could check the ingredients list between the stuff sold in the U.K. and stuff sold over there but if their not worried, I'm not.

m0therofdragons · 30/04/2017 10:21

My normal moisturiser has factor 15 in it Confused it the No7 one. I thought most did.
Next month I'm launching the summer skin cancer awareness campaign locally aim particularly at men who work outside. Skin cancer rates are on the rise and scaremongering posts like the op's are really unhelpful! Green people's sun cream is my personal favourite (goes on beautifully and dd isn't allergic - win, win).

olderthanyouthink · 30/04/2017 10:44

m0ther the problem with moisturisers with spf is that they aren't always chemically stable (I heard some stop working after 15 minutes somewhere) and people don't put enough on. You should put 1/4 teaspoon of sunscreen on your face and I suppose more moisturiser because it's more diluted.

MarmotMorning · 30/04/2017 11:01

What is the cause of the rise in skin cancer?

Voice0fReason · 30/04/2017 11:30

JaxingJump what utter twaddle you have posted! Babies shouldn't use suncream because their skin is much more delicate so they need to be kept out of the sun. Why would anyone want to put suncream n a baby?
Keeping them in the shade is the only suitable protection. That isn't suitable protection for toddlers because they are mobile. It's very easy to keep a baby in the shade.

Voice0fReason · 30/04/2017 11:34

What is the cause of the rise in skin cancer?
The people getting skin cancer now were exposed to too much harmful UV years ago when suncreams were not as good, not as widely used and people didn't understand the risks.
And cases of skin cancer are not rising everywhere. Australia's Slip, Slop, Slap campaign has been very successful.

MarmotMorning · 30/04/2017 12:21

Yes interesting, but what about the people who were old say 50 years ago - why weren't they getting it?
Perhaps due to changes in our pattern of exposure in the last couple of generations?

BeyondStrongAndStable · 30/04/2017 12:25

Also probably something to do with people dying of other things before their skin had chance to develop a cancer?

user1471545174 · 30/04/2017 12:25

People who were old 50 years ago, by and large, hadn't been on foreign holidays. They were unaffordable until the 60s.

BeyondStrongAndStable · 30/04/2017 12:27

Incidence increases with age in general too, so living longer will make rates rise

BeyondStrongAndStable · 30/04/2017 12:30

Thinner ozone layer
Increased use of immunosuppressant drugs

MarmotMorning · 30/04/2017 17:20

Yes, all of that makes sense. And sunscreen is good at reducing the effect of these changes. But I do think vit d is important too for health so the effect of sunscreen on this should be considered eg supplements

user1482079332 · 30/04/2017 17:55

Everything you put on your skin isn't absorbed....imagine if that was the case every time it rains basic biology. If you think everything you can't pronounce is toxic you have bigger problems then the chemicals you encounter in day to day life

coconuttella · 30/04/2017 19:57

Everything you put on your skin isn't absorbed....imagine if that was the case every time it rains basic biology

Would make baths interesting!

OneTimeintheSunshine · 30/04/2017 20:01

I usually wear factor 30 or 50 on my face, even in winter. I take a vitamin D supplement, but I would take one even if I didn't wear SP because we don't get much sun here (UK).

hollyisalovelyname · 04/05/2017 19:27

Elave do a great moisturiser with a high spf in it.
No parabens etc.
It is sold in Boots in Ireland but I'm not sure it is sold in Boots in the UK. You could email Boots.

Funnyonion17 · 04/05/2017 19:32

I doubt it's toxic. My only worry is lack of D3 if i use it

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