When it comes to sun protection, most of us have a squeeze or spray bottle of sunscreen at the ready for ourselves and our families.

However, are you sure that what you are using is the very best option?

This article explores all things sunscreen - the good, the bad, and the downright ugly - and how you can choose the most effective and safest formula for the summer months, the winter ski season, and all year round!

Sunscreen: Why Worry?

Who would disagree with the statement "we are what we eat?” What most don’t know is that we are not just “what we eat” with our mouth, “we are what we eat” through our skin as well.

The skin is an amazing organ. In the epidermis, there is a vast supply of blood and nutrient-circulating capillaries just below the surface. This means that whatever is applied to this top layer is eventually going to wind up in the bloodstream. Think of how many times a week (or a day) you use lotions, creams, and other products for your face and the rest of your body. If you apply a standard amount of these products per day - about 1 tablespoon - that would mean you have ingested a little over 110 cups (or about 7 gallons) over the course of five years.

That’s a lot, especially when you consider that many of the skincare and body care products in use today contain chemicals that can disrupt hormonal balance, affect the brain, rev up or shut down the nervous system, hurt the respiratory tract, and even raise your risk of cancer.

There are over 10,000 different kinds of chemicals “out there” in personal care product formulas today. The vast majority have not been tested for safety, even though the science connecting many of them to reproductive cancers especially spans the last 20 years. Unfortunately, some of the very worst of these chemicals can be found in sunscreens. (1)

Oxybenzone (BP-3)

Of them all, BP-3 is perhaps the most talked about and controversial. A 2016 groundbreaking study conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that exposure to BP-3 caused significantly lower levels of testosterone in boys aged 9-12. In the NHANES study, BP-3 was also linked to endometriosis in girls. (2) Another report put out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that 97% of people ages 6 and up have some amount of oxybenzone in their system. (3)

Despite the fact that oxybenzone is a proven xenoestrogen that is banned in many other countries, it is still legal for sunscreen manufacturers to use it in the U.S. today. Public awareness and push back, however, have made the difference in putting this harmful chemical on the FDA watchlist, possibly indicating that it may soon be banned in the States as well.

“Growing Food and Drug Administration concerns about oxybenzone as a hormone disruptor and its ability to penetrate skin easily have led in part to the sharp decrease in its use as an active ingredient,” says the authors of a report put out in 2023 by the consumer organization Environmental Working Group (EWG). The report also notes that currently oxybenzone is found in only “13 percent of non-mineral sunscreens.” (4)

Other Ingredients in Commercial Sunscreens to Watch Out For

Of course, BP-3 is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to harmful substances in commercial sunscreen products. Here are a few more that all have connections to higher cancer risk, hormonal imbalance, and more:

• Padimate O (OD-PABA), (5)
• 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC or Enzacamene), (6)
• Methoxycinnate (OMC),
• Benzophenone,
• Homsalate (HMS),
• Octinoxate (Octyl methoxycinnamate),
• Octisalate, and
• Avobenzone

Safer FDA Regulations on the Horizon?

The United States continues to lag behind other countries like those in the European Union when it comes to safety and choice in sunscreen products. That being said, some headway has been made in recent years, and more may be coming on the horizon.

The Sunscreen Protection Act of 2014 (SIA) was created in response to public outcry about sunscreen hazards. As part of the Act, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created its recommendations for eventual regulations entitled “Sunscreen Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use.” Within this document, they proposed including many of the substances mentioned above as “Category III” chemicals. “Category III” means that the FDA acknowledges that there may be some hazards and that more studies need to be done. (7)

In 2020, the “sunscreen regulation” cause gained a bit of headway (according to some) with the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security - or CARES - Act. The CARES Act reformed the way the FDA regulates some “monograph” (over-the-counter) drugs, including sunscreens, to make the process more efficient. (8)

SIA itself expired in 2022. In response, another piece of bipartisan legislation called the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on June 3, 2025. If passed, it may pick up where SIA left off - and then some. The new Act would mandate annual Congressional reports on the progress of new standards. It would also ensure the use of “real-world,” non-partisan evidence for the safety and efficacy of sunscreen products, as well as alternatives to animal testing. (9)

With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the way to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) at Health and Human Services, there is new hope that this regulation and potentially others will finally prioritize safety and expediency.

Zinc Oxide: The Natural, Safe, and Effective Alternative!

As we watch the legislative wheels slowly turn and hope for the best, what can you do now to ensure the best - and safest - sunscreen products for yourself and your family?

My advice is to stick with ingredients that have a strong, decades-long track record of not only being safe but also effective. Zinc Oxide is built by nature to be “broad spectrum.” This means that it can protect from both UVA and UVB rays. Not only that, but if used properly, it can also help with premature aging because of its strong anti-inflammatory properties.

In addition to aloe vera, zinc oxide can also soothe irritated skin that has already gotten a little too much sun. Zinc oxide can not only protect and heal sunburn but also help with other types of skin irritations and even cuts. It is safe and ideal for those with oily skin since it has been shown to help regulate sebum levels on the skin’s surface.

Zinc oxide is a key ingredient in the CHARLÍS SPF 25 Neutral Tinted Face Moisturizer, which is great for everyday use. Allantoin, panthenol, and Mugwort help soothe and nourish the skin and seal in moisture, while the powerful staying power of zinc oxide protects your skin from UV rays all day long!

References:

1. In vitro and in vivo estrogenicity of UV screens.
2. Serum Testosterone Concentrations and Urinary Bisphenol A, Benzophenone-3, Triclosan, and Paraben Levels in Male and Female Children and Adolescents: NHANES 2011–2012
3. Dermatological and environmental toxicological impact of the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone/benzophenone-3
4. Dramatic decline: Oxybenzone use plummets to only 13 percent of non-mineral sunscreens
5. Illumination of human keratinocytes in the presence of the sunscreen ingredient Padimate-O and through an SPF-15 sunscreen reduces direct photodamage to DNA but increases strand breaks
6. In vitro and in vivo estrogenicity of UV screens
7. Sunscreen Innovation Act | SIA
8. CARES Act Modernizes Over-The-Counter Drug Monograph Process
9. Joyce, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize Sunscreen