#Zinc oxide sunscreen skin#
#Zinc oxide sunscreen plus#

The scientific paper is not even out yet, so I don't have the details - yet media 'conclusions' are being made! The BIG point is that our skin is not like vulnerable cells in a petri dish human skin has a complex structural barrier called the stratum corneum covering its living cells.Įxcellent scientific studies show that nano-zinc oxide in sunscreen doesn't get into human skin. The researchers found that more cells exposed to the nano-zinc oxide died compared with the cells not exposed. The situation is that human lung cell in a petri dish were bathed in a solution with nano-zinc oxide and then exposed to UVA. Cynthia BaileyĪs is sadly common, the media's questions sound like conclusions and, unfortunately, it's scaring people who want to do the right thing for their skin health. The studies are intriguing, but more study is always needed - Dermatologist Dr. Results of studies done on skin cells in a petri dish are not directly indicative of the same conclusions being valid on your living human skin because your skin is much more complex. The study, about to be published in the Journal of Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, is a study of vulnerable cells in a dish that are completely different than the cells in healthy human skin.

#Zinc oxide sunscreen plus#

The study suggests that nano-zinc oxide plus UVA is harmful. There are a bunch of recent media discussions that have started over a new scientific study done on cells in a petri dish. Your question is great because the safety of sunscreen is a hot topic right now. I also see the benefits of how well it reduces skin cancer risk every day in my dermatology practice once patients begin using zinc oxide sunscreen, along with following my advice for sun protection, they get fewer skin cancers and precancerous growths. I'm a big zinc oxide fan and I trust the protection that it provides. How do I answer their concerns? -Susan H.Īctually all of the sunscreen products that I recommend - that I use for my family and that I personally use - contain zinc oxide. I have family members who have seen news reports that using sunscreen containing zinc oxide actually causes skin cancer when the skin is directly exposed to the sun.

I really like your skin care blog! I've also noticed that many of the sunscreen products that you recommend contain zinc oxide. I received the question from a reader and here is my scholarly opinion! Can zinc oxide is sunscreen cause cancer? It's a rumor bouncing around the web.