This goes against what a lot of holistic health folks are saying..

A lot of people in the holistic health space say "sunscreen is the cause for skin cancer" - and blame it solely on the rising cases.

While there might be some truth in that statement (and I will show you where that line of thinking comes from) - the rise in skin cancer cases goes so much deeper than sunscreen.

So today I want to dive deeper - so you can make your own decision on this topic.

I will also share some of my favorite articles about summer - sunglasses - vitamin D & sunscreen.

Keep reading for all the article & links.​

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Everywhere I look these days I feel like I see another person saying "sunscreen is the reason why we are seeing so much skin cancer these days".....and honestly I feel like this is very short sighted AND might give people a false sense of security.

There is data suggesting:

1. Some sunscreen ingredients may have endocrine-disrupting or pro-oxidative effects, especially when absorbed or used chronically.
2. Sunscreen use can block vitamin D synthesis, which may indirectly affect long-term health, including cancer risk.
3. Widespread sunscreen use has not reduced skin cancer rates, which raises questions about whether the model of sun avoidance is sufficient or effective.

Citation: Krause et al. (2012) - Sunscreens: are they beneficial for health? Int J Androl.

• Highlights the systemic absorption and endocrine effects of common UV filters.

CIitation: Matta, M. K., et al. (2020) - Effect of sunscreen application on plasma concentrations of sunscreen active ingredients. JAMA.

• Found that several common sunscreen chemicals exceeded FDA safety thresholds after a single day of use. (absorption means that further research is needed)

Citation: Holick, M. F. (2007) – Vitamin D deficiency. NEJM.

• Excessive sun avoidance and sunscreen use are contributing factors to widespread vitamin D deficiency - which DOES increase skin cancer risk & increases all cause mortality.

The true kicker: Despite 50+ years of sunscreen promotion, melanoma rates have increased, especially in indoor-working populations.

​Click here for my nuanced article on sunscreen​

Ok so now that we got that out of the way....

Why I don’t believe sunscreen is the main cause of rising skin cancer rates:

With all things health - going to one main cause - (especially in something as complex as cancer) - is very short-sighted, and often times the real issue lies upstream.

In this particular case I think we need to look at how modern life disrupts our skin’s natural defenses.

The Elephant in the room: Mitochondrial dysfunction from artificial light & lack of Red/IR light

Constant exposure to blue light indoors (especially without balanced red and infrared light) increases oxidative stress in the skin and eyes. Red and infrared light are critical for maintaining mitochondrial health -especially in skin cells - by enhancing cytochrome c oxidase activity, ATP & cellular water production in. the mitochondria. Without this, your skin is less able to repair overall.

In essence - blue light contributes to the oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chronic inflammation that are necessary co-factors in cancer development.

The next big issue: Subcellular Melatonin Depletion

Melatonin isn’t just made in the pineal gland at night - over 90% is made during the day inside cells, especially in mitochondria, in response to near-infrared light.

This is CRUCIAL for repairing cells - keeping cancer risk down & overall health, and in my opinion is a hidden factor in a lot of modern diseases.

Our modern windows block out most of the red & infrared - and people spend 90% (or more) of their day inside - getting no near infrared light. In essence - Indoor living blocks this very important process, weakening the skin’s photoprotective shield.

Citation: Reiter, R. J., et al. (2017) - Melatonin in mitochondria: mitigating clear and present dangers. Physiology.

Inflammatory Diet and UV Resilience - Yes this is an issue

The next claim on social media: It's all the fault of seed oils.....YES - a problem....but not the whole story.

The truth is that omega-6 diets, foods fried in seed oils and processed sugar all increase ROS (inflammation - especially in the skin), glycation, and photo-aging.....so we should absolutely do our best to limit or avoid them altogether.

However - these are not a "magic bullet", and if someone is not spending anytime outside (and tons of time under blue light indoors) & has poor circadian health - it might not be the magic bullet they thing it is.

Citation: Black, H. S. (1992) - Influence of dietary fat on ultraviolet carcinogenesis. Photochemistry and Photobiology. Demonstrated omega-6-rich diets enhance UV-induced tumor formation.

​(More resources: My full article on which foods can be protective of skin health & which foods can be harmful)​

Chronic sun avoidance - glass & sunscreen mismatch:

When we avoid the sun entirely - or only get incidental exposure without proper skin conditioning - we weaken melanin production, vitamin D synthesis, and the skin’s adaptive tolerance to UV radiation (aka solar callus). This deconditions the skin and can make sudden UV exposure more damaging.

As I mentioned earlier - Melanoma rates have increased despite widespread sunscreen use - particularly in indoor populations.

A meta-analysis found that chronic occupational sun exposure (typical of outdoor workers) was inversely associated with melanoma risk, whereas intermittent exposure, such as recreational sunburns in indoor workers, was positively associated

Citation: Gandini, S., et al. (2005). Meta-analysis of risk factors for cutaneous melanoma: II. Sun exposure.

There is also some evidence to show that UVA radiation, not UVB, may play a dominant role in melanoma induction - especially when UVB is blocked (e.g., by sunscreen or glass), leading to unbalanced UVA exposure......another reason NOT to wear sunscreen indoors.

Citation Moan, J., Dahlback, A., & Setlow, R. B. (1999). Epidemiological support for an hypothesis for melanoma induction indicating a role for UVA radiation.

Low Vitamin D

There’s strong epidemiological and mechanistic evidence linking low vitamin D levels to increased melanoma risk, progression, and worse prognosis.

Not only does (OH)D have anti-cancer properties in the skin (Slominski, A. T., et al. (2012) - but activated vitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D) modulates immune function, inhibits proliferation, and promotes differentiation and apoptosis of abnormal cells.

AND - it has been shown that people with lower serum (OH)D levels have a significantly higher risk of developing melanoma, independent of sun exposure. (Newton-Bishop, J. A., et al. (2009) Serum vitamin D and survival from melanoma).

Conclusion:

We can't just point to ONE THING, and I know I could probably turn this article into a book - as there are many many more things I could add here.

The main takeaway: be wary of "the silver bullet" effect - as it's very common in mainstream & alternative thinking (ex: The Sun Causes Cancer - or Sunscreen Causes Cancer)....and stay SKEPTICAL!

RIP Bill Bengston - who introduced me to the idea of being a skeptic (click here to watch our interview from last winter) in the best way possible.

More Summer Articles:

​Sunglasses - A metabolic disaster in disguise​

​Vitamin D - The risk of supplements​

​Lotions & Creams that Block important light frequencies​

Video Vitamin D: The forgotten truth about trying to replace light with a pill​

Thanks for reading!