10 sunscreen myths you can’t afford to bust

Attention sunscreen skeptics: the sun’s rays are coming for you, and you’re making their job easier.

Summer is now upon us, which means more time in the sun – and more exposure to the UV rays it produces. Longer wavelength UV rays can reach below the surface of the skin, causing premature aging. Short-wavelength ultraviolet B rays affect the last layer of skin, causing sunburn and tanning. (The third type of radiation, ultraviolet C, is blocked by the Earth’s protective ozone layer.)

Both UVA and UVB damage the DNA in skin cells, causing mutations. These mutations can accumulate over time and cause tumors to grow. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the more UV exposure you have, the greater your risk.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer in the United States, followed by squamous cell carcinoma. About 5.4 million of these cancers are diagnosed each year and cause 2,000 to 8,000 deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.

Melanoma of the skin is rarer and more deadly, affecting an estimated 100,640 Americans this year and killing 8,290, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Sunscreens can protect you from these dangerous diseases in one of two ways. Chemical sunscreens contain substances that absorb ultraviolet rays, such as avobenzone. Mineral sunscreen relies on zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to block or reflect the sun’s rays. In any case, the sun’s rays cannot penetrate the skin and damage your DNA.

Here are 10 sunscreen myths you can’t afford to bust

Myth 1: As long as you don’t get sunburned, you’re safe.

Fact: You don’t need to get sunburned to put your skin at risk. Dr. Henry Lim, a photodermatologist at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, says that damage to unprotected skin’s DNA—even if your skin looks normal to the naked eye—is cumulative.

“Every time the skin is damaged by the sun, whether it’s a sunburn reaction or not, there’s some damage the skin needs to repair,” Lim said.

Myth 2: Your body needs vitamin D, and sunscreen can keep you from getting it.

Fact: It only takes a small amount of sun exposure to produce the vitamin D your body needs. A study of white men in the Boston area found that 5 to 10 minutes of sun exposure on the hands and feet two or three times a week during the summer months was sufficient to produce sufficient vitamin D.

Even if you apply sunscreen, you still get that minimal amount of sun exposure, Lim said. “When we use sunscreen, we don’t use enough,” he said. “It’s just human nature.”

Dr. Ann Chapas, a Manhattan dermatologist and clinical instructor at Mount Sinai Medical Center, advises patients concerned about their vitamin D levels to protect their skin and look for the nutrient in food or take a supplement.

“You need vitamin D to be healthy, but there are many ways to get it,” she says.

Myth 3: The chemicals in sunscreen cause cancer.

Fact: The active ingredients in sunscreens sold in the US are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which has determined that they are safe and effective. The National Academies added, “Sunscreen use is not associated with higher rates of any type of cancer.”

In fact, it’s the other way around, Chapas says, “If you’re trying to avoid cancer, wear sunscreen.”

Myth 4: You don’t need to wear sunscreen when the UV index is low.

Fact: The UV index primarily measures UVB, which Lim calls the “sunburn spectrum.” Even though UVB is low, you still need to protect yourself from UVA.

“As long as there’s light, there’s enough UVA,” Lim says, to cause wrinkles, fine lines and contribute to skin cancer risk.

Chapas agreed. “Even on cloudy days, 80% of the sun’s rays pass through and you can still get sun damage,” she said.

Myth 5: If you have dark skin, you don’t need sunscreen.

Fact: People of all skin types can experience sun damage and skin cancer. In fact, “Skin cancer in dark-skinned patients is often diagnosed at later stages, when it is more difficult to treat,” said Dr. Simal Desai, president of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Chapas added that dark skin can tan more easily than light skin because exposure to the sun produces more melanin.

Myth 6: Mineral-based sunscreens are safer than chemical sunscreens.

Fact: Both types are safe to use, but there are a few unknowns with mineral sunscreens because they’re not absorbed into the skin, says Lim.

That’s one reason Chapas prefers mineral sunscreens, she said. She also appreciates their versatility as they can be applied over makeup or moisturizer. “The challenge is that some of these formulas are white, so you have to find one that works with your color,” she says.

Myth 7: You can protect yourself from the sun by building a “base tan”.

Fact: A tan can provide some protection, but it’s less than SPF 5, Lim said. This is not enough to make sunscreen unnecessary.

Also, the skin itself is a sign of sun damage. “When our skin is exposed to UV light, it stimulates melanin production to prevent more UV from penetrating the skin and damaging the underlying skin cells,” Chappas said. “Skin is not healthy, skin is your body trying to protect itself.”

Myth 8: The antioxidant astaxanthin protects you from UV and acts as an “internal sunscreen.”

Fact: There are two ways antioxidants can reduce the biological damage associated with sun exposure, says Lim. When UVA rays damage DNA, they cause oxidative damage to DNA and help reduce antioxidants. Additionally, when visible light interacts with the skin, it causes cells to produce a destructive molecule called reactive oxygen species. Antioxidants help fight this process.

It makes sense to include antioxidants in your sunscreen regimen, but they can’t do the job on their own. “There are no pills that are as effective as sunscreen,” Chapas said.

If you want to take an antioxidant to reduce sun damage, astaxanthin isn’t necessarily the best choice, Lim and Chapas agree. The product Chapas recommends is from Heliocare.

Myth 9: The chemicals in sunscreen get into your bloodstream and accumulate over time.

Fact: There are no long-term studies on the blood of people who regularly use sunscreen, so there is no evidence that this is true or false. However, the chemicals are excreted in the urine, indicating that they do not linger in the body, Lim said.

People wary of chemical sunscreens can opt for mineral sunscreens instead, he said.

Myth 10: You can prevent sun damage by wearing a good hat.

Fact: A wide-brimmed hat will definitely help protect you from the sun. This is especially true for people who are balding or have thinning hair, because “we don’t have good sunscreens for hair-bearing areas,” Chappas said.

However, the hat only protects the UV rays coming from above. Without sunscreen, you’re still exposed to rays that reflect off water, sand, or city surfaces like sidewalks and come down to your skin. (That’s why you need sunscreen even if you’re in the shade.)

“There are several steps that we need to take. Each one is important, but when you put everything together, it’s not good,” Lim said.

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