Is benzophenone in sunscreen safe?

Is benzophenone in sunscreen safe?

Benzophenone is a mutagen, carcinogen, and endocrine disruptor. Its presence in food products or food packaging is banned in the United States. Under California Proposition 65, there is no safe harbor for benzophenone in any personal care products, including sunscreens, anti-aging creams, and moisturizers.

Is benzophenone-3 bad for skin?

Safety Information In addition, a Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) expert scientific panel states that benzophenone and its derivatives (benzophenone-1, -3, -4, -5, -9 and -11) are safe as typically used in cosmetics and personal care products.

Does benzophenone-3 cause cancer?

Exposure to compounds with cancer-potentiating effects can contribute to the progression of cancer. Herein we have discovered for the first time that benzophenone-3 (BP-3), a chemical used as sunscreen in various cosmetic products, enhances the ability of lung cancer cells to undergo metastasis.

What are the banned sunscreen ingredients?

Oxybenzone (BP-3) and octinoxate (OMC), two common sunscreen ingredients, were recently banned in Key West and Hawaii due to their toxic effects on marine ecosystems. Their impact on human health requires a careful assessment.

What are the side effects of benzophenone?

In benzophenone allergic individuals, products containing benzophenone or benzophenone derivatives may cause redness, swelling, itching and fluid-filled blisters. Symptoms may appear immediately or several days later (delayed contact and photocontact dermatitis). In severe cases, anaphylaxis may occur.

Is oxybenzone the same as benzophenone-3?

Oxybenzone — also called benzophenone-3 and sometimes Milestab 9, Eusolex 4360, Escalol 567, or KAHSCREEN BZ-3 — is a chemical compound that is the active ingredient in most over-the-counter sunscreens and other personal care and skincare products.

Which sunscreens dont cause cancer?

Using sunscreen with SPF 15 every day can lower your risk of squamous cell carcinoma by around 40% and melanoma by 50%. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

Why did Hawaii ban sunscreen?

David Ige signed Senate Bill 2571 into law, making Hawaii the first place in the world to ban “the sale, offer of sale, and distribution of sunscreens that contain the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate” after many studies showed that those two chemicals cause genetic damage to marine life, including coral reefs.

What’s wrong with oxybenzone?

Oxybenzone is a cornucopia of nasty side effects. It’s considered a hazardous eye irritant and, as an allergen, is also known to cause skin allergies. As a hormone disruptor to coral, it also causes hormone disruption in humans, affecting estrogen production particularly in women and testosterone production in men.

What type of sunscreen is healthiest?

For now, if you are concerned about health effects, the safest choice is a so-called “mineral” or “physical” sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, dermatologists say. Those are only sunscreen ingredients that the FDA says are “generally recognized as safe and effective.”