Sun creams not only protect against sunburn, but also against skin aging and skin cancer.
However, researchers found that old sunscreen can actually cause cancer.
If you want to protect yourself from sunburn in summer, you should smear yourself consistently and several times a day with sunscreen.
But our skin has pores and so partially absorbs the ingredients of the lotion.
However, conventional sun creams often contain
harmful chemicals
that enter the bloodstream through our skin and have to be excreted via the liver, kidneys and intestines.
There the ingredients can cause damage.
Also read
: Heat damage is dangerous for the brain: from light sunstroke to threatening heat stroke
.
Organic and inorganic UV filters in sun creams
Substances that filter UV light provide the sun protection factor (SPF) in sun creams. There are two groups of these:
organic
filters, which are often also referred to as chemical filters, and inorganic filters. The organic filters absorb the sun's UV rays and convert them into heat and harmless fluorescent light.
Inorganic
, also called mineral filters, contain small particles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These scatter and reflect the UV light.
The disadvantage of mineral filters is that they usually
leave
a
white film on the skin
.
That is why nanoparticles are often used today.
These are particularly small and so easier to distribute on the skin.
The “whitening effect” does not occur.
The label “nano” can be found on the packaging.
However, since no substance provides 100% protection from the sun's UV rays, a
combination of different filters
are used
in many creams
.
+
Sunscreen protects against sunburn.
But is it also carcinogenic?
© Imago
Expired sunscreens are carcinogenic
French microbiologists from the Sorbonne and scientists from the national research agency CNRS published a study on sunscreens in March 2021. They artificially aged new creams from well-known cosmetic brands and found that
many creams were a dangerous substance
. The chemical filter octocrylene became benzophenone. “If benzophenone gets on the skin, it can cause rashes, inflammation or hypersensitivity, but also liver cancer or lymphomas. That was the case in animal experiments. The molecule affects the thyroid gland and the reproductive organs, ”said co-author of the study Didier Stien, according to the
Tagesschau
.
Even if everything seems to be fine at first glance, the sunscreen has not separated itself and smells good, the octocrylene may have become the dangerous benzophenone.
Therefore you should
pay attention
to the
best before date of
the cream.
If you want to be on the safe side, you should completely avoid sunscreens with organic filters and use inorganic ones.
Certified natural cosmetics only use inorganic filters.
By the way: sunscreen can be harmful not only for the human body.
When creams with organic filters get into the sea, they also promote
coral death
and so-called "coral bleaching".
(cw)
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List of rubric lists: © Imago
