Recently, am American study in the very respected journal, Photochemical & Photobiological Science, raised concerns about the toxicity of Zinc Oxide when combined with other sunscreen filters.
Here is a link to this article. Its free, so I would encourage you to read it (and not get the paper copy, as that will only come in hand as loo roll).
The skincare influencer, @Labmuffin engages in a passionate defence of Zinc Oxide based on science. Here is that link
The good samaritans of Oregon
Before eviscerating the findings of this report, I want you to appreciate that the Oregon state university researchers, really did have the best intentions at heart. The gist of why they undertook this research is twofold:
- American sunscreen regulation is in desperate need of an update: look at the Europeans with their better sunscreens with new style filters.
- There is simply not enough research on what happens to sunscreen after you’ve applied for a few hours. Do the individual ingredients become unstable and enter the bloodstream?
I can’t fault the researchers for the view they hold. Sunscreen is an inadequate solution to a very serious problem (skin cancer and photoaging). Therefore, I was fully expecting the report to test 21+ pharmacy sunscreens for toxicity. This didn’t happen and instead, the scientists tested the toxicity of Zinc Oxide when combined with Mixture 1.
Mixtures being tested were
What you need to know
I’ve looked at over 300 sunscreens, and at least 200 of them are American. This is a link to the filters contained in 147 sunscreens that you can buy in CVS Pharmacy in the USA. (I’ve also listed all of them at the end of this blog)
Based on my experience (which you can 100% ignore) – looking at the 147 sunscreens above, here are some precise numbers for you:
My thoughts
Its really hard to take research papers like this seriously when there is a huge disconnect between reality and what is being tested in the lab.
It is my understanding that the USA does not permit combining Zinc Oxide with Avobenzone. The strategy for protecting against UVA in sunscreens is either to adopt Avobenzone or Zinc Oxide as the primary filter. This bifurcates the market as follows:
- Zinc Oxide: 20% of the market
- Avobenzone: 80% of the market
A note on data
Yes, my data was last updated in October 2019, when I could freely visit the USA. However, I have been following the market closely, as well as testing sunscreens from the USA and the market has not changed.
Blame the pandemic.
The 147 sunscreens
