“Suncream causes cancer…”

[dillydally79]

I have just read this headline as Kelsey Parker has supposedly stated this during a recent podcast.

I have never heard this before, but i am consciously trying to make healthy changes in other areas of mine and my kids lives so I am interested. Anyone know more? I’ve never really thought about this before as I just think of suncream as a necessity, but is it??

Blimey

theres a raft of evidence over years that use of sun screen reduces melanoma. Still there are people on this thread saying they don’t know, or that there’s no difference between 15 and 50 (there is) or even that it’s all a rouse by big skincare (wtf!)

I’ve no idea if it’s nonsense or not, but how can rubbing large quantities of chemicals into your skin be a good thing? Maybe it protects against skin cancer but causes other types of cancer?
Same goes for deodorants, hair dye, beauty products etc etc. Something is causing increasing rates of cancer, could it be a combination of what we eat/drink/breathe/put on and in our bodies? Or do you think rising cancer rates are another conspiracy theory?

The majority of the rise in cancer diagnoses comes from older people. As life expectancy increases, cancer is diagnosed in older people who previously would not have lived to get it, or it would not be diagnosed.

it’s not “chemicals”

Cover up is the best thing IMO. I wonder what the rates of melanoma are like in hot sunny countries where they have to wear the long robes like the abaya.

Bizzare that she’s publicly made these comments with no evidence or back up, if that’s the case.

Well that's simply not true. Cancers are increasing across all age groups with, 18-24 and 25-49 seeing the biggest increases.

We don't know all that's causing it, but it's definitely not old age!

What's also worrying is that a lot of parents (some of whom are here on MN) are quite happy for their children to read this rubbish via unsupervised access to social media via a mobile phone.

Not really? Thousands of people spout the same crap with zero knowledge.

look at how many anti vaxx there are now.

it’s so depressing. People will believe anything and if you agree with the scientists and doctors they declare you a sheep.

honestly some people should just shut up.

Isn't it more likely that people stay out too long because they have sun cream on and it's that causing the cancer rather than the sun cream itself?

From soemone who burns easily and quickly, there's a very big difference.

I also think there's a strong possibility that suncream has indirectly lead to an increase in skin Cancers. Before suncream was so readily available, people had to stay out of the sun/cover up otherwise they'd burn and be in pain. Now you can stay out all day, apparently safely, but we don't really know that having a barrier that stops us from burning/aging avoids the other risks. Also suncream encourages sunbathing and "managed" tanning/skin damage.

I think this is part of it - I see my own fairhaired 18yo dc spending far longer than me in the sun wearing far less but it’s ok because they’ve got sun screen on.

Whereas sweaty menopausal 50yo me seeks shade, wears loose cover up clothing and still uses the same sun screen.

So I don’t think sun screen causes skin cancer but I do think it can cause behaviours that increase the risks.

That’s exactly what it is.

From this website: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen#:~:text=No.,to%20sunnier%20climates%20and%20sunbathing.
”These conclusions come incorrectly from studies where individuals who used sunscreen had a higher risk of skin cancer, including melanoma. This false association was made because the individuals who used sunscreen were the same ones who were traveling to sunnier climates and sunbathing. In other words, it was the high amounts of sun exposure, not the sunscreen, that elevated their risk of skin cancer.”

plus the fact there have been some sunscreens withdrawn due to containing carcinogens - but they were trace amounts, and not an ingredient. But headlines like that, combined with poorly understood research, can definitely create an idea that sunscreen is harmful (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/15/johnson-and-johnson-sunscreen-recall-benzene)

Influencers spouting shite. What else is new.

This. Honestly the stupidity is actually breathtaking

Ah so this is where it's come from. Another mum friend told me last week that suncream now causes cancer so she isn't using it this summer on her DC. She has also trotted out a load of other nonsense in the past, mainly based on ill informed social media gossip, so I just said I would still be using it and changed the subject.

Cancer rates are rising in general because fewer people die prematurely from other causes and more people are living longer to develop cancers in later life. There are specific trends with specific cancers, some increasing, some decreasing.

The hole in the ozone layer increasing UV strength wasn't known about until the mid-80s. People in middle age or older developing skin cancers now would have had limited access to effective suncreams in their youth and it can take decades for the extent of that UV damage to be revealed and felt. It is not proof that current suncreams are ineffective or dangerous.

Suncream standards in the UK/ EU are different to the USA. The descriptors and ingredients differ, so criticism from US sources isn't automatically applicable to British/ European products even if it's true.

Managing sun exposure by covering up, wearing hats, seeking shade and managing timings are valid, useful ways of managing sun exposure, but using high protection suncream is still an important tool in reducing sun damage.

I read that sunscreen is carsinogenic last summer but numerous sources have either debunked it or said that it's much preferable to use than not.

I did notice last summer a prevalence of mineral based sunscreen in the shops so I wouldn't be surprised if this sort of information isn't the beauty industry inventing more problems to sell you more expensive products. I did buy a mineral face sunscreen by accident though and I will say it's excellent.

My mother was diagnosed with aggressive melanoma last year, cut out and all clear until last week when we discovered it’s back. Please don’t underestimate the dangers of not using sunscreen.

30% of cancers are in those aged over 74

maybe there are increases in other age groups but the majority is due to ageing population

I use a zinc oxide based sunscreen on my face as it’s the only one that doesn’t make my eyes sting and stream.

There’s some truth to this. Behaviours sometimes cause unintended consequences

so an influencer has come out and stated that! Where is her scientific evidence? How is she qualified enough to make that bold statement?! She’s an idiot to say that.

suncream has prevented millions of cases of cancer etc! I’m hating these influencers who think they can dish out medical advice. Leave it to the pros!

It’s been said for years. I remember a colleague at work telling me I shouldn’t be wearing it , I’m as white as a milk bottle , he had the same skin tone as Usain Bolt well he was slightly darker skinned. I ignored him, mainly because he was constantly coming out with similar bollocks.

I think that some people, when a loved one has cancer, get drawn into a lot of online stuff around potential causes. I wouldn’t be surprised if she read a lot about her husband’s fatal cancer, and you’ll always be able to find something online telling you about how something environmental or and everyday thing/food/product could have caused it.