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Research finds these sunscreens do more damage than good

"Once exposed to sunlight for two hours, zinc oxide destroys the UVA protection provided by other ingredients."

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Mother applying sunscreen lotion to child boy face. Parent applies sunblock to kid.

By Joe Morgan via SWNS

Some popular sunscreens do not work at all after two hours - and may even be causing more damage to the skin, warns a new study.

Often sold as a 'mineral cream' or 'chemical free', researchers warn that zinc oxide-based sunscreens may actually be doing more damage than prevention.

Current testing practices examine ingredients individually rather than as a part of a formulation exposed to sunlight.

Zinc oxide was found to be a strong filter for sunlight on its own, but together with other ingredients can be damaging to the skin. ​

Woman applying hands sunscreen outdoors
(Photo by wear it out via Shutterstock)

“On its own, zinc oxide is an effective and harmless UV blocker," said Professor Richard Blackburn at the University of Leeds.

"Our research raises concerns about how the individual formulation ingredients react with each other during use and this isn’t currently tested by the industry.

“Once exposed to sunlight for two hours, zinc oxide destroys the UVA protection provided by other ingredients. In this context, putting on sunscreen could actually make things worse because people believe they are being protected from harmful UV rays and may stay in the sun longer.”

"The degradation of the UV filters not only decreased the effectiveness of the sunscreen, it also led to increased formula toxicity," said Professor James Hutchinson of the University of Oregon. “So not only is the lack of effective UV protection an issue, the product itself may be causing harm during use in the sun.”

“Zinc oxide particles are frequently combined with UV filters in hybrid sunscreens or through layering of multiple cosmetics," said Dr. Aurora Ginzburg. “Thus, in the design of future cosmetic formulations, it is critical that the potential for zinc oxide-induced photodegradation of the whole formulation, or in combining products on the skin, be considered."

“As an alternative, there are some excellent potential candidates from nature that are effective UV filters, but under current legislation, the process to achieve regulatory approval is extremely expensive and takes many years," added Blackburn. “This is proving to be a barrier to innovation, which could provide more effective, safer and sustainable alternatives to current ingredients.”

The study was published in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences.

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