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Too much of this chemical can have harmful side effects.
Benzene in sunscreen side effects free#
These free radicals can accelerate the aging process and increase the risk of illness including cancer. Avobenzone Containing Sunscreens can cause hormone disruption - and are even more toxic when exposed to chlorineĪvobenzone degrades when it is exposed to the sun which results in harmful free radicals being released into the body.
Benzene in sunscreen side effects skin#
There are a number of articles in the literature about Octocrylene - the most common avobenzone stabilizer chemical - causing skin irritation, including rashes and acne. Avobenzone Containing Sunscreens Often Cause Skin Allergies.Because many chemical sunscreen companies continue to use avobenzone for UVA protection, they have to add other, even more unsafe, chemicals like octocrylene, homosalate, or octisalate to make the avobenzone work longer than 30 minutes. Since UVA rays do their damage deep within the layers of your skin, you wouldn’t experience the effects until many years later. Why?Īvobenzone breaks down in the sun in 30 minutesĪs an initial matter, once exposed to the sun, avobenzone alone offers about 30 minutes of protection. But this is problematic for people worried about the toxic effects of what they are putting on their skin. For that reason, it is used by millions looking to protect themselves from the sun. Avobenzone was approved by the FDA in 1988 for its ability to absorb UVA rays, which cause premature aging and skin cancer. But what is Avobenzone, and is it safe?Īs we explained in our blog post "Not All Sunscreens Are Created Equal" there are two proven-effective UVA blockers, one chemical and one mineral (Avobenzone and Zinc Oxide). Is sunscreen safe just because it is “Oxybenzone Free”? Many sunscreen manufacturers would like you to believe so, and tout “Oxybenzone Free” on their labels and in their advertising, while continuing to use chemical ingredients like Avobenzone. On the heels of Hawaii’s recent ban of toxic sunscreen ingredients Oxybenzone and Octocrylene, there is also a general increase in consumer desire for “safer” sunscreens. Research shows avobenzone reacts with chlorine and might cause toxic reactions.Avobenzone breaks down in sunlight in 30 minutes, so manufacturers use questionable "stabilizing" chemicals such as octocrylene, homosalate, or octisalate.Avobenzone is the main ingredient in "active chemical" sunscreens.
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