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flat lay of blue-pink sandals and pink sunscreen bottle
This heat wave has us feeling like we're broiling under the sun, a la Desert Land of Super Mario Bros 3. But after losing out on an entire summer to the pandemic (and then some), we'd rather just grin and bear it and sweat it out. A new bombshell, however, has us worried about lathering up our most prominent (and precious) organ: high levels of Benzene have recently been detected in scores of sunscreens. What is Benzene exactly and what does it do on a cellular level to our bodies? And of course, the age-old debate: chemical or mineral? What, if any, is the consensus here?
“Benzene is a chemical normally found in volcanoes, forest fires, cigarette smoke, and gasoline–but can be a contaminant in manufacturing processes. It's not an "ingredient" in sunscreen, but several sunscreens recently tested positive for it, which is thought to be a manufacturing defect across multiple brands.
Benzene is a known carcinogen which, after long-term exposure, can affect the bone marrow. This can cause both low blood counts (anemia) and abnormal blood cells (leukemia). Reports of leukemia are due to oxidative stress on the bone marrow and occur after long-term exposure. Reports of the link between Benzene and leukemia were from oil rig workers and auto mechanics.
As far as sunscreens go, I would recommend using physical blockers that contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These are often labeled 'baby sunscreen' or 'sensitive skin' sunscreens, and have the least amount of additives.
In general, mineral sunscreens are safer than the chemical variety. They have found that some of the chemicals in sunscreen are absorbed into the bloodstream, but there are no adverse affects that have been reported from this absorption.”
–Elizabeth Farhat, MD, at Allina Health
