INSIGHTS | 10. Sunscreen, Cosmetics & Skin Cancer

Rising rates of skin cancer & melanoma has everyone up in arms about sunscreen. But, mammals have evolved with the sun since the beginning of life. Maybe the problem is what we put on our skin.

Photo by Stanley Dai on Unsplash

Article: Are tyrosinase inhibitors in sunscreens and cosmetics enhancing UV carcinogenicity?

Context

We recently took a family vacation to Florida. Our 6-month old was loving the beach & water.

Upon our return, I showed my coworker a picture of him with a light tan, happy as can be. No burns, no redness, no discomfort of any sort. The coworker immediately inquired whether I lathered him in sunscreen prior to exposure. You should have seen her face when I said no.

"Studies have shown that kids who get burnt as toddlers have higher risk of melanoma."

Apart from the fact that you cannot really tease out the intervening 50-70 years between getting a sunburn as a toddler and developing melanoma as a retiree...there are other confounding variables. For example, maybe those prone to sunburns have less resilient skin type? No matter - she was beyond help.

No, doc, I didn't lather my baby in synthetic chemical byproducts. I bought him a hat and placed him in the shade after he went for a short dip in the water. Simple.

But, is dunking your child in sunscreen such a big deal?