Sunscreen Safety, Skin Absorption » BIOME ONBOARD AWARENESS: THE SCIENCE BEHIND FOOD, OUR MICROBIOME, AND DISEASE

Last Updated on May 8, 2019 by Patricia Carter

SUMMARY: Sunscreen Safety. A JAMA study posted a few days ago (May 6, 2019) that investigated if the active ingredients in sunscreen of FOUR commercially available products gets absorbed into the human blood stream. Spoiler alert: ALL 4 of the sunscreen chemicals tested (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, or ecamsule) were absorbed into the blood stream within one days use and in amounts greater than ever thought, exceeding amounts the FDA considers as Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective (GRASE) which is 0.5 ng/mL. This post details –> –>WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW and provides LINKS TO TWO RESOURCES YOU CAN USE FOR CHOOSING SAFER SUNSCREENS<– <– I won’t unduly burden this post with the [Matta et al 2019] study results, but you need to to know that the researchers tested different formulations for the chemicals: two different sprays, one lotion, and one cream to see if formulary mattered for skin absorption. It did not. SYSTEMIC CONCENTRATIONS GREATER THAN 0.5 ng/mL WERE REACHED FOR ALL 4 PRODUCTS AFTER 4 APPLICATIONS ON DAY 1. CNN reported on this study and said that “the amount used was twice the amount that would be applied in what the scientific community considers real-world conditions.” But the authors of the study say the amount they used is in accordance with the product usage instructions, and it is an amount that is commonly used at the beach. The authors note that it is not known what the clinical effect of plasma concentrations for these active ingredients in excess of 0.5 ng/mL means for health, so further research is needed. The FDA agrees and has proposed a new rule which requires evaluation of suncreen chemcial absorption considering reproductive, developmental, and carcinogenic effects. The authors of the study note that the study results do not indicate that individuals should refrain from the use of sunscreen despite the absorption amounts exceeding the threshold established by the FDA that permits potentially waiving some nonclinical toxicology studies for sunscreens. Hmmm… So, if you going to continue to use sunscreen, what sunscreen ingredients are you going to USE, or AVOID? I am also interested in what products you TRY and your thoughts about them! LMK in the comments below!

Here’s how we’re absorbing so much of these sunscreen chemicals, including our fetus!

It is not recommended to use chemical-based sunscreen when breast-feeding. © Ignacio Campo on Unsplash

I remember when we were told to apply sunscreen products liberally and to reapply them after swimming or excess perspiration. The CNN article notes that David Andrews, senior scientist at the EWG, says sunscreen use to be applied in small quantitites to prevent sunburn on vacations.

Well that is no longer the case. According to the FDA: More people than ever before are using sunscreens because they’re being told to apply them everyday by medical and public health authorities, the product label directions for use has changed to instruct using greater amounts and with more frequency, and the concentration of active ingredients in sunscreen products have increased because the SPF of the products have increased, and most people apply additional sunscreen since most topicals now contain sunscreen chemicals (like makeup, lipstick, and even moisturizers).

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends when going outside (even if cloudy or in the winter because UV rays are always present), to apply at least 1 ounce of sunscreen (the shotglass amount) to all exposed skin. They say to reapply it every two hours or immeditely after sweating or swimming. Likewise, the CDC, and for babies over 6 months of age the American Academy of Pediatrics, tells us to re-apply sunscreen every two hours and after swimming, sweating, and toweling off.

But recent studies have found that some of the chemicals evaluated in the study have been found in breast milk, amniotic fluid, urine and blood. Some studies have raised questions about the potential for oxybenzone to affect endocrine activity. And yet, few studies address safety including carcinogenicity, developental and reproductive impact. Links to those studies can be found in the study, [Matta et al 2019]. EWG reports that research shows that oxybenzone is an allergen that soaks through skin and can be detected in the bodies of nearly every American, and it is also a hormone disruptor.

So what can you do about these chemicals –> Here are the two links to resources for finding safer ingredient sunscreens:

40 Best Organic Sunscreens Of 2019 (Non-Toxic & Natural).

This listing is going to be all natural mineral sunscreens (no chemical sunscreens). Some sunscreens they list with helpful comments are: JUICE BEAUTY – SPORT ORGANIC SUNSCREEN SPF 30 ($16) (goes on without white residual, 100% PURE – EVERYWHERE BODY STICK ORGANIC SUNSCREEN SPF 30 ($38), THE OX BOX: ORGANIC BEAUTY BOX, NURTURE MY BODY – UNSCENTED ORGANIC SUNSCREEN SPF 32 ($20), ALL GOOD – ORGANIC SPORT SUNSCREEN BUTTER SPF 50 ($20), BADGER – ORGANIC BABY SUNSCREEN SPF 30 ($14), KISS MY FACE ORGANICS – KIDS ORGANIC SUNSCREEN SPF 30 ($13) (also an EWG top pick)… and more.

EWG’s Sunscreen Guide

Their recommendations are natural mineral sunscreeens containing zinc oxide or titanium oxide.

The FDA proposed rule contains a lot of info about sunscreen safety if you want to learn more. You can even comment on it until May 28, 2019. Here’s some key takeaways (and don’t miss the spray concerns):

The proposed rule is: Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use, A Proposed Rule by the Food and Drug Administration on 02/26/2019.
You can comment on the rule here until May 28, 2019.
The rule applies to suscreens (all forms including the powders that are in our makeup) and sunscreen insect repellent combinations. The FDA notes that “recent data has suggested that the transdermal absorption of some sunscreen active ingredients is greater than previously thought, and thus may raise previously unevaluated safety concerns, including the potential for reproductive, developmental, or carcinogenic effects.”
The effective date of final regulation for the rule is November 26, 2019. You can expect to see on the store shelves sunscreens that meet the final rule a year later (2020).
Two ingredients – zinc oxide and titanium dioxide – are GRASE for use in sunscreens; two ingredients – PABA and trolamine salicylate – are not GRASE for use in sunscreens due to safety issues. 12 ingredients are listed for which there are insufficient safety data to make a positive GRASE determination at this time. To address these 12 ingredients, the FDA is asking industry and other interested parties for additional data. Of these 12, three (homosalate, octinoxate, and octisalate) have been evaluated in human absorption studies BUT those studies have significant limitations. I’m not making this up… those are the FDA’s words, not mine. And for oxybenzone and avobenzone, the human absorption studies are present but also insufficient. You can read about all that in the rule and in FDA’s News Release here.
The chemicals are discused in detail in Section VIII. Existing Safety Data for Sunscreen Active Ingredients.
Lots of safety testing is proposed in the rule, and that is worth looking over. Generally, the FDA wants studies to address: Skin and systemic carcinogenicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART), toxicokinetics, and additional testing when data suggest a concern about other long-term effects, such as endocrine effects. The FDA also wants to see: Skin irritation and sensitization testing, phototoxicity and photoallergenicity testing, human maximal use bioavailability studies, pediatric studies (excepting the need for oxybenzone for children under age 2 –> somewhere in the report I suppose it gives the why), and postmarketing adverse event reports.
Spray versions have added inhalation impact. The FDA says in Section IX. Additional Proposed Conditions of Use, A.3 Safety and Effectiveness of Spray Sunscreens, that concerns can be handled with safety testing, formulations need to contain 90% of particles dispensed in sizes above 10 micrometers (μm) in diameter to limit exposure beyond the larynx, and to prevent deposition in the deep lung, the particle size has to be greater than 5μm, and of course, proper labeling warnings that say:

Hold container 4 to 6 inches from skin to apply.
Do not spray directly into face. Spray on hands then apply to face.
Do not apply in windy conditions.
Use in a well-ventilated area and avoid inhalation.

Here are the details of the [Matta et al 2019] sunscreen absorption study:

This CNN article [LaMotte CNN 2019] Sunscreen enters bloodstream after just one day of use, study says nicely disusses the JAMA study.

24 healthy volunteers applied the same sunscreen product 4 times per day for four days.
For seven days, plasma concentration of the active ingredients were measured. In total, 30 blood samples were collected over 7 days from each participant.
The researchers looked at four formulations of sunscreen with 6 participants testing each formulation. They looked at two different sprays, a lotion, and a cream. They used different formulations to see if absorption changed if the vehicle of delivery for the active ingredients was by spray, lotion, or cream.
The participants applied sunscreen where one usually does (to areas that aren’t covered by a bathing suit). They applied two milligrams of sunscreen per 1 cm² on all exposed skin areas (about 75% of the body surface area was covered with sunscreen).
The mean age of the participants was 35.5 years. 12 were women (50%]; 14 were black or African American [58%].

What [Matta et al 2019] found:

Systemic concentrations greater than 0.5 ng/mL were reached for all 4 products after 4 applications on day 1.

For avobenzone, maximum plasma concentrations were:

For spray 1: 4.0 ng/mL (coefficient of variation, 6.9%)
For spray 2: 3.4 ng/mL (coefficient of variation, 77.3%)
For lotion: 4.3 ng/mL (coefficient of variation, 46.1%)
for cream: 1.8 ng/mL (coefficient of variation, 32.1%)

For oxybenzone, maximum plasma concentrations were:

For spray 1: 209.6 ng/mL (66.8%)
For spray 2, 194.9 ng/mL (52.4%)
For lotion: 169.3 ng/mL (44.5%)

For octocrylene, maximum plasma concentrations were:

For spray 1: 2.9 ng/mL (102%)
For spray 2: 7.8 ng/mL (113.3%)
For lotion: 5.7 ng/mL (66.3%)
For cream: 5.7 ng/mL (47.1%)

For ecamsule, maximum plasma concentrations were 1.5 ng/mL (166.1%) for cream.

Conclusion: At least we now know we are in fact systemically absorbing these sunscreen chemicals and perhaps in significant amounts that might impact health. I hope the resources I’ve noted help you if you want safer alternatives.

Best in health through awareness.