New online trend to say it's better not to wear sunscreen

[Mummabear04]

Has anyone else come across this? People claiming sunscreen is carcinogenic and that you shoud never use it. These people are not even putting it on their kids?! Am I the only one who thinks this is absolute madness?

I know people who don't use sunscreen on their kids and just have them cover up, wear hats, and not go out in the hottest part of the day. I don't have an issue with sunscreen myself but I don't think these people are new.

But whyyyy???? I don't understand why you wouldn't just slap some on them!

Madness! The risks of not wearing sunscreen is far too dangerous IMO

@LivingDeadGirlUK
Fair enough not to use it if you take precautions for yourself and your children not to expose yourselves to the sun.

It's the people who hear this message and dont take precautions and dont use the sun screen that will end up with problems.

And there will be plenty of them.

Haven’t seen this online but I don’t think it’s madness, necessarily. If you cover up/use a hat and in the summer try to avoid direct sunlight say 11am-3pm, you can easily avoid using sunscreen.

Read up on the health risks resulting from a lack of Vitamin D, as opposed to the risks from skin cancer.

I'm a sunscreen sceptic tbh, not because I think it's carcinogenic but because I think there's little need for it in a cold grey country.

I always make sure my DS is lathered up when the sun is strong but I don't believe for a minute that all these beauty gurus always use sunblock. You never see them actually apply it.

The use of suncream can lead to vitamin D deficiencies

Rickets is slowly on the rise probably due to the use of suncream

Rickets warning from doctors as vitamin D deficiency widens | Health | The Guardian

UK Witnessing A 380% Increase In Cases Of Rickets: Here’s How A Lack Of Vitamin D Could Be The Reason | OnlyMyHealth

Well it will certainly lower pension costs in a few decades...

I sunscreen my kids they went out slathered today as sports day and sunny and there’s no shade. I do think it’s better to cover up, stay out of midday sun where possible though. So rash vests and Sun hats at the beach. That way you only need to suncream a little of them.

As pointed out we do need a certain amount of sunlight, so I think there is a balance to be struck.

Technically they are not wrong. Suncream is actually really toxic however not all of them are. There are plenty of brands that are less toxic and more expensive ones that are more natural.
people are misinformed and don’t do their own research

they absolutely should be wearing it and putting it on their children

Yes this. I don’t tend to put sunscreen on my child because he doesn’t really like being out in the heat for long, and some sun exposure is good for vitamins D.

If we’re going to the beach or park etc and going to be outside all day I take a bottle with us and put it on when we’ve had a bit of time outside.

If he’s going off to school for sports day etc I put it on before he leaves the house.

It’s part of the same collection of mad health beliefs held by anti-vaxxers and those who think homeopathy is the only treatment anyone should have for cancer etc.I think these people have always been around, they just have the internet now! I agree there are some genuine concerns about vitamin D but not sunscreen being carcinogenic.

There's emerging evidence that the action of sun on the skin produces beneficial compounds over and above Vitamin D.

Wearing sunscreen and swimming in sea/ rivers can be bad for aquatic life.

I have no idea if sunscreen is carcinogenic. Probably no more so than UVA rays!

So, it's common sense to maintain a balance. I gather the current advice is to let DC run around in the sun for 15 minutes before applying any sunscreen- in the UK, that is. I only tend to put sunscreen on myself and the DC between 11 and 3- again, in the UK.

Of course sunscreen is needed in this kind of weather. It's ridiculous to say it isn't!

I wear spf50 on my face everyday, year round. SPF50 on my body when I’m out and about for longer than 10-15 minutes

I've taught my children to respect the sun. They were suitable clothing and hats and stay out of the sun in the middle of the day. If this isn't possible, then we do use sunscreen - not sunblock as that can cause other issues. Fortunately neither of them are prone to burning and are both really outdoor children, so tan and build up a degree of natural resistance.
Can not get my head round the sunblock obsession with children........ rather than being practical....

I never use it in the UK it is not needed and yes the chemicals are not good for you, i have vit D deficiency

Not all suncream is the same. Nano sunscreen has tiny particles that enter the bloodstream and this is generally what people are worried about. Mainstream suncream contains all sorts of chemicals and fragrances known to disrupt the endocrine system (as do many other products, but most of them we’re not slapping on young children in big quantities) and awareness is rising. Many sunscreens destroy coral reefs (easy to find this online) too.

Mineral sunscreen sits on the surface of the skin. They are much harder to find and way more expensive but beginning to be more mainstream.

It’s all a balance of risk - burning and getting cancer later in life vs being exposed to chemicals that may accumulate to affect health in other ways.

Being moderate - covering up, staying in the shade but using it on exposed skin when necessary is the approach we always took and only use mineral sunscreen (still do).

I use suncream on my son, but I do err towards longsleeve, loose tops and thin cool trousers, and just keeping him out of the sun whenever I can.

I rarely use sunscreen, I'm not outside with exposed skin enough to worry about it. My DC the same, the amount she gets before and after school going from a to b is short enough to not worry

There are plenty of legitimate concerns about nano sunscreens and the various chemicals added to them. Both for human health and the killing of the coral reefs in Aus and Hawaii in tourist areas. It’s not just tin foil hat nuts.

Not all sunscreens have the same ingredients.

That ^^
they’re claiming skin cancer is caused by wearing spf in the sun and not by the sun

most people don’t get enough vitamin d anyway especially if you’re in an office all day. Take a supplement and cover up/wear SPF/go in the shade

We take a balanced approach

Most of the time in the UK a sun hat and covering exposed skin is all that's needed on a sunny day. We wear long sleeved light cotton clothing and sunhats when playing outside, and if we are swimming we wear UV resistant long sleeved and legged swim suits or wetsuits. (Let's face it it's nicer for kids swimming in UK seas to wear wetsuits. We went to the sea in May and the water was 6 degrees still, with a wetsuit they can enjoy it more)

If its a day where the UV is very strong that day and we won't be able to keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, we will use suncream together with the usual precautions, but it's only applied once or twice. It doesn't need reapplying every hour, and only after they have been exposed to some morning sun when the rays are not as strong

There are benefits to sunlight for both your body and mental health, its silly to wear sunscreen year round. But if you can't stay safe in the sun then sun cream is a safety measure for those days

No but the ones online are frankly bonkers
they're mostly saying that people have skin cancer because the spf reacts with the sun and saying coconut oil and tallow works as an spf

commenting on people applying spf (and not showing which brand/type) to their children “welcome to skin cancer” and shit like that