Sun cream concern

[Bridie123]

Hi everyone, spent an evening with friends and cutting out how we got there, some one said sun creams can cause cancer! Well I am sure I am not the only one who generously factor 50s their face every morning. Any thoughts/ info anyone?

[hall2]

Sounds like an old wives' tale to me!

[Chaz1]

There's no medical evidence to prove that it does however people are concerned about the absorbtion of the chemicals through the skin so instead use sunblock which sits on the skin. However there is plenty of evidence that uv rays cause skin cancer & mpn patients are more prone to skin damage. I can't remember the science behind it but I know hubby catches the sun quicker than before and also the treatment causes more suspectability to skin damage by the sun. So you have to decide on the risks to yourself on what you use. But if we gave into fear we wouldn't do anything so have to use the tools we have to reduce the risk.

[Bridie123 in reply to Chaz1]

I agree, it's personal choice after weighing everything up. For me at the moment its keep applying the cream because my skin is so different now on hydroxycarbonide.

[Hidden]

Hi, I too have been reading about this with interest. In dr Malcolm Kendrick’s latest book he touches on this. You need exposure to sunlight ( without sun cream) so that the uvb rays converts the cholesterol in your skin to make vit D. Vit D is protective against cancer. He also says that skin cancers often happen in areas that don’t get exposed to sun, so is the sun really causing it?

Have just read on another site that lack of vit D makes you more sensitive to the sun , so more likely to burn. Once your vit d levels are adequate you can cope with sun much better, without sun cream. Many people seem to have low vit d levels now, it’s easy for the doctor to check.

When you look at the ingredients on a bottle of sun cream there are a lot of chemicals in it. Have all these chemicals been thoroughly checked for safety? Who knows?

[Bridie123 in reply to Hidden]

This is very interesting, my daughter has low vit D nearly all the time and loves the sun and has been told by her doctor to get more sun.

[Bridie123 in reply to Hidden]

Hi DebraNL, could you tell me the title of Dr m kendricks latest book? He seems to have written lots 🤗 thanks

[Hidden in reply to Bridie123]

It’s called a Statin Nation.

I can highly recommend all his books and he has a website too.

[Bridie123 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you ☺

[catkinspolymer]

not using them is much more likely to cause sun induced skin cancers, I have had 3 lots of surgery to remove BCC.

Town crier ET for 30,years

[Bridie123 in reply to catkinspolymer]

I agree for myself, because my skin is so different now on hydroxycarbonide.

[SueYoung]

This may be helpful, as I would trust the Canadian Cancer society to have reviewed the evidence carefully. Unless you plan to stay indoors a lot or cover yourself from top to toe with clothing, I would be using the sunscreen enjoying life and not worrying too much about things that people say off the cuff without too much thought.

Sue Xx

cancer.ca/en/prevention-and...

Hope the link works but if not it's on the Canadian cancer society website

[Bridie123 in reply to SueYoung]

Thank you so much I will look into this for myself and will show it to my friend. 😊

[ashby7763 in reply to Bridie123]

A good book in the shade as I'm usually too knackered by hydroxy to move about much. As a devoted husband watching his wife slowly die of a degenerative brain disease the cruel randomness of life is always surprising. Seize the day my friends and break the brandy!

[paintbox]

Hi Bridie123

This is something I feel passionate about. I am very mindful of what I put on my skin and in my body and I try hard to avoid the risk of unnecessary toxins: whether they pose a cancer risk; or they interfere with hormones; or they are harmful to nature when entering the water system. For these reasons there are certain things I will never use / ingest or expose my children to. For the last 10+ years I have avoided all sun creams that contain harsh chemicals and make use they are non-toxic and use natural UV filters that are marine friendly. I make sure they have no mineral oils or silicones that clog the pores and cause prickly heat. The one we've used confidently for several years is made by Green People.

This is an interesting read! It looks at the lack of certainty or scientic evidence that chemical filters used in most common sunscreens are safe.

ewg.org/sunscreen/report/th...

It reports of mainstream sun creams: "These products typically include a combination of two to six of the following active ingredients: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate. Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. A handful of products combine zinc oxide with chemical filters."

There is a question that these chemicals, with prolonged exposure, may disrupt the hormone system; affect the thyroid and reproductive systems; cause skin allergies; harm the lungs through inhalation; & the question you posed about the lack of certainty that they are carcinogens or not.

The article reports that - "FDA has put the entire sunscreen industry on alert by proposing that in just two instances do we have enough safety information about ingredients to determine whether they’re safe and effective: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. For 12 other ingredients, the FDA has said there isn’t enough data to determine whether they’re safe."

Interestingly, we had a similar conversation whilst with friends at their beach hut yesterday. I had recommended Green People's suncream to one family for their daughter, who gets terrible prickly heat & hives. They said that since changing to Green People suncream, their daughter has had no outbreaks.

Just a thought...talc used to be something many people used frequently on their baby's body and their own and yet now there is far stronger suggestion that there may well be a link to ovarian cancer.

It became my personal preference to avoid certain chemical toxins following my biology degree but I recognise that not everyone trusts information about risks that can seem like media hype. I love Green People and Neal's Yard products and feel safer and happier sticking with them. I hope you find something that works for you.

All the best.

PS I've been taking Astaxanthin as an alternative antioxidant to tumeric & fish oil (which thin the blood further and could interfere with my meds for ET). Astaxanthin is linked to improving heart health & to reducing damage from exposure to UV.

[Bridie123 in reply to paintbox]

Thank you so much for that information, I will be taking notes and looking into it for myself and will show it to my friend who is anxious about the subject 🤗

[Hidden in reply to paintbox]

Astaxanthin is an anti-oxidant that makes the flesh of salmon pink. You can, of course, take your pick of anti-oxidants!

The primary human application for astaxanthin is as a dietary supplement, although as of 2018, there was insufficient evidence from medical research that it affects the disease risk or health of people, and remains under preliminary research. In 2018, the European Food Safety Authority sought scientific information from manufacturers of dietary supplements about the safety of astaxanthin.

The following is a round-up of research on supplementation with oral anti-oxidants: healthline.com/nutrition/an...

When it comes to fat, there's one type you don't want to cut back on: omega-3 fatty acids. Two crucial ones -- EPA and DHA -- are primarily found in certain fish. ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), another omega-3 fatty acid, is found in plant sources such as nuts and seeds. Not only does your body need these fatty acids to function, but also they deliver some big health benefits.

[Camelian in reply to paintbox]

Hi paintbox I found your post a really interesting read. I'm Et jak2 + only on aspirin at the moment but I'm going on holiday soon and so have been looking for a more natural sun cream option. Can you send the link for the green people and I'll have a browse. Many thanks.

[paintbox in reply to Camelian]

Hi Camelia,

Here is the link. greenpeople.co.uk/shop/by-p...

I've used happily pre and post ET JAK2+ diagnosis. Enjoy your holiday. ☀️😁

[Wyebird]

My heamo told me to use factor 15 I was surprised it didn’t have to be higher.

[Bridie123]

Surely not! 15 sounds similar to 50😘