Is sunscreen really toxic?

Science Weekly

The Guardian

Science

4.2 • 938 Ratings

🗓️ 12 August 2025

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For many of us, slathering on sunscreen to protect our skin in the summer months is a no-brainer. But recently social media has been awash with influencers airing their concerns about the potential dangers of this seemingly innocuous product. So is there anything to the claims that sunscreen is toxic? To find out, Madeleine Finlay is joined by the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample. He explains where the science stands on the safety of sunscreen and what we can do to protect our skin all year round. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is The Guardian.
0:10.8	This is Generation 1, the climate podcast from University College London.
0:15.0	Bringing groundbreaking research from the front lines of climate science, we tackle climate action
0:20.0	in all its forms, from policy and activism to AI and urban planning.
0:24.1	I am a tech optimist. I am optimistic that it will help us solve some of the challenges, especially related to climate change.
0:32.4	UCL's Generation 1, turning climate science into action.
0:36.0	Subscribe now to UCL Generation 1 on your favorite podcast platform.
0:46.4	It's the classic image of summer, sea, sand, and slathering on the sun cream.
0:53.7	But if you go on social media, rather than being a
0:57.0	beachback essential, sun cream is apparently something we should be ditching. You don't need
1:02.8	sunscreen. You just need to practice safe sun exposure. I'm a 40-year-old board certified dermatologist
1:07.6	and I've seen the light. Sunscreen is going to kill you. To be honest,
1:11.3	I'm as scared of sunscreen as I am of melanome. Like that some of the things in sunscreen are really
1:16.3	spooky. According to some influencers, we have it backwards. It's the cream, not the sun,
1:23.6	that's damaging our health. Is sunscreen causing cancer? The truth's going to shock you.
1:28.7	It is absolutely toxic made up of chemicals that are meant to be put inside your car and not
1:35.0	on your body.
1:35.9	Benzying anyone?
1:36.9	If you look at these compounds, they cross the blood brain barrier.
1:40.3	I don't want compounds crossing the blood brain barrier.
1:45.2	So today, I'm chatting to science editor and co-host Ian Sampal to ask,
1:50.8	why has the internet turned against sunscreen?
	...

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