New FDA testing of sunscreens shows that six common active ingredients are absorbed into the body and may linger for days or even weeks, in some cases.
What’s more, the testing showed that just a single application of sunscreen ― whether as a lotion or a spray ― increases the blood levels of these active ingredients beyond the FDA’s threshold for determining if they need more study to be considered safe for use. Read more about the testing
here.
“It’s a little bit scary because we just don’t know what the biological effect of sunscreen in your blood is,” says Alok Vij, MD, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Vij was not involved in the study.
Previous research has shown that some of the ingredients in the FDA study can disrupt hormones and may lead to fertility problems, poor birth outcomes for babies, and perhaps cancer.”