Science‑Backed or Bust: Is Sunscreen Actually Bad For You?

The Liz Moody Podcast

Liz Moody

Health & Fitness, Self-improvement, Education, Mental Health

4.8 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 28 July 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Is sunscreen actually bad for you? I’m diving into the science behind one of the most debated skincare topics. We’ll explore if sunscreen is negatively affecting your Vitamin D levels, the potential risks of certain ingredients (like oxybenzone), the differences between chemical and mineral sunscreens, and how to choose products that actually protect your skin against cancer without compromising your overall health. You’ll also learn about the surprising ways your diet and lifestyle impact your skin’s natural defenses, plus hear actionable tips to build a routine that supports your skin barrier and microbiome. Whether you’re a sunscreen skeptic or a devoted daily user, this episode will leave you feeling informed, empowered, and ready to make the best choices for your skin health. Read the study Liz referenced in this episode: Effect of Sunscreen Application on Plasma Concentration of Sunscreen Active Ingredients. Subscribe to the substack and see all of Liz’s favorite sunscreen products by visiting https://lizmoody.substack.com/welcome. Ready to uplevel every part of your life? Order Liz’s book 100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships & Success now! Connect with Liz on Instagram @lizmoody or online at www.lizmoody.com. To join The Liz Moody Podcast Club Facebook group, go to www.facebook.com/groups/thelizmoodypodcast. Use our discount codes from our highly vetted, tested brand partners by visiting https://www.lizmoody.com/codes. This episode is brought to you completely free thanks to the following podcast sponsor: Wildgrain: go to Wildgrain.com/LIZMOODY for $30 off the first box – PLUS a free item in every box. The Liz Moody Podcast cover art by Zack. The Liz Moody Podcast music by Alex Ruimy. Formerly the Healthier Together Podcast. This podcast and website represents the opinions of Liz Moody and her guests to the show. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for information purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. The Liz Moody Podcast Episode 350. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, friends, and welcome back to the Liz Moody podcast. Today, we are kicking off a brand new series
0:05.4	where I'm going to dive into the latest wellness trends, and I'm going to let you know what's fact,
0:09.3	what's fiction, what the real science says. I'm basically scouring the internet for what people
0:14.6	are talking about all of the time, probably to the detriment of my own brain. But if you have
0:20.0	specific topic requests for these episodes,
0:22.2	leave a comment on Spotify or on Instagram or review on Apple. And I will do my absolute best to
0:28.0	include topics that you want covered in future episodes. And of course, make sure that you
0:32.6	are following the podcast and Apple Podcasts on Spotify or on YouTube. So you actually see those
0:37.0	episodes come up in your
0:37.9	feed because a lot of you have DM'd me lately and said that you got removed from following.
0:43.5	So even if you think you are following, maybe check that again to make sure that that glitch
0:47.8	also didn't happen to you.
0:50.1	Also, for those of you who are not familiar with my background, I am a journalist. I have been for over two
0:56.1	decades, which is actually really crazy to say. And I've had more of a focus on science communication
1:02.5	in the last 10 years or so. I am not a doctor. I want to be immensely clear on that. My expertise is
1:10.2	an understanding and synthesizing information
1:12.6	from different sources to give you a whole picture. So, for instance, today we're talking about
1:17.5	sunscreen, and I've wanted to do an episode about this for years, but dermatologists have one
1:21.8	specific perspective. Cosmetic Scientists have another. MDs specializing in hormone health
1:26.7	have a whole other perspective.
1:28.9	While our Wednesday episodes have always featured interviews with top experts in all different
1:33.6	fields, and they will continue to do that because I absolutely love them. I feel so grateful that I get
	...

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