I always slathered or sprayed sunscreen on thick (Southern AZ) and hate how my eyes start to burn towards the end of the day, and I have a terrible taste in my mouth. Spent a month in France and bought sunscreen at the local bodega and had none of those issues (and I just bought the cheap shit). There’s definitely something to the American sunscreens that’s less friendly overall.
thinks back to college chem lab classes and MSDSes
why would anyone put benzene in sunscreen
Anyway, for reference here’s the paragraph from the article about the harmful substance:
When people say chemical sunscreens are unsafe or “toxic,” they generally point to a 2001 study that found some risks associated with oxybenzone after scientists put high levels of the ingredient in drinking water for rats. But a followup study in 2016 found that for humans to get to similar risky exposure levels they’d have to apply full-body daily sunscreen for 227 years.
And they aren’t the substances that are cited for toxicity/carcinogenicity. So, based on the available information (correct me if I’m wrong, of course!), it seems that they’re the best choice.
Also I’ve heard that mineral sunscreens work by reflecting sunlight rather than absorbing it and dissipating it as a different form of energy (I forget whether that’s heat or chemical change) so that might also be useful in other ways. But I am not an expert.
Agreed, especially on the mineral sunscreens. Usually when you buy the version of sunscreen for babies (at least in the US) they’re only of the mineral variety.
I spend a lot of time in the sun and have a chronic skin condition. During the summer I used to get really deep pimples and cysts that took months to go away. Ever since I switched to mineral sunscreens I haven’t had issues. It’s a personal anecdote, but I’m happy with the change, even if mineral sunscreens are a bit harder to apply.
Zinc is also pretty good for your skin in general. I use mineral sunscreen because I am stubborn, but it sounds better than it actually is. It works by sitting on your skin and reflecting light. It is opaque. You look white as a ghost, or you buy tinted and risk looking like you are covered in foundation. And it gets on everything you wear especially if it’s black. I probably never use enough just because I think I’d look like a clown.
In the US, it’s a concern: https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/beauty-style/carcinogen-benzene-sunscreen
There have been a few lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson in particular because of the benzene specifically:
I always slathered or sprayed sunscreen on thick (Southern AZ) and hate how my eyes start to burn towards the end of the day, and I have a terrible taste in my mouth. Spent a month in France and bought sunscreen at the local bodega and had none of those issues (and I just bought the cheap shit). There’s definitely something to the American sunscreens that’s less friendly overall.
thinks back to college chem lab classes and MSDSes why would anyone put benzene in sunscreen
Anyway, for reference here’s the paragraph from the article about the harmful substance:
Meanwhile, I’ve noticed that mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) are reportedly considered “reef safe”: https://savethereef.org/about-reef-save-sunscreen.html
And they aren’t the substances that are cited for toxicity/carcinogenicity. So, based on the available information (correct me if I’m wrong, of course!), it seems that they’re the best choice.
Also I’ve heard that mineral sunscreens work by reflecting sunlight rather than absorbing it and dissipating it as a different form of energy (I forget whether that’s heat or chemical change) so that might also be useful in other ways. But I am not an expert.
Might be some concerns about heavy metal contamination in mineral sunscreen to consider.
https://tamararubin.com/2025/06/sunscreen-chart/
Mineral sunscreen also feel like slathering yourself in peanut butter. And if you have any body hair, good fucking luck.
That’s just not a real solution for something you have to reapply every couple hours.
Agreed, especially on the mineral sunscreens. Usually when you buy the version of sunscreen for babies (at least in the US) they’re only of the mineral variety.
I spend a lot of time in the sun and have a chronic skin condition. During the summer I used to get really deep pimples and cysts that took months to go away. Ever since I switched to mineral sunscreens I haven’t had issues. It’s a personal anecdote, but I’m happy with the change, even if mineral sunscreens are a bit harder to apply.
Dr Michelle Wong is an Australian cosmetic chemist who’s really into sunscreen if anyone’s looking for an expert’s opinion.
https://labmuffin.com/sunscreen-myth-directory/
This was fascinating and informative, thank you so much!
Well, that’s interesting; there’s several things that conflict with my prior information. Time to look into it further; thanks for sharing.
If I recall correctly, the benzene ended up in sunscreen as part of propellant manufacturing. These were the “spray can” variety of sunscreen.
Zinc is also pretty good for your skin in general. I use mineral sunscreen because I am stubborn, but it sounds better than it actually is. It works by sitting on your skin and reflecting light. It is opaque. You look white as a ghost, or you buy tinted and risk looking like you are covered in foundation. And it gets on everything you wear especially if it’s black. I probably never use enough just because I think I’d look like a clown.
Oh, then I might not be using enough because I don’t look like a ghost after applying it lol
only recently bought some mineral sunscreen for the first time, because I got into biking places