For decades we’ve been told to fear the sun. Dermatologists, ads, and entire industries built their empires on convincing us that sunlight is dangerous — that slathering on chemical sunscreen is the key to safety. But what if we got it wrong?
A growing body of data shows that skin cancer rates began to soar right around the time sunscreen use became widespread. Could it be that the very products meant to protect us are part of the problem? Let’s follow the timeline — and the science.
Skin Cancer Rose When Sunscreen Became Popular
Historical data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the Connecticut Tumor Registry show a sharp rise in melanoma cases starting in the mid-20th century — precisely when commercial sunscreens hit the market.
Correlation doesn’t always mean causation, but this pattern raises questions. Before the sunscreen boom, people spent more time outdoors, wore less SPF, and yet skin-cancer rates were dramatically lower. Something changed — and it wasn’t just sunlight.
Toxic Ingredients, Not the Sun
The earliest sunscreens introduced chemicals such as homosalate and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). Later came oxybenzone and octocrylene — compounds now recognized as endocrine disruptors that can mimic or block hormones in the body.
Studies from the FDA and independent labs have found that these chemicals are absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream and can remain for days. The irony? We were told these lotions were our shield, yet their ingredients may be doing more harm than the UV rays themselves.
Melanoma Explosion and the Chemical Timeline
Graphical data from the Connecticut Tumor Registry illustrate how melanoma incidence climbed in tandem with each new generation of sunscreen.
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Late 1940s: Homosalate and PABA enter the market.
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1960s: SPF 8 lotions become popular.
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1970s: “High SPF” formulas arrive, and melanoma rates take off.
By the 1980s and 1990s, melanoma diagnoses had multiplied many times over — even as sunscreen usage and sun avoidance campaigns grew stronger.
What Our Ancestors Would Think
Imagine your ancestors — hunters, farmers, and foragers who thrived beneath open skies — watching modern humans apply SPF 50 just to walk into a grocery store.
Humans evolved in sunlight. Moderate, regular exposure boosts vitamin D, nitric oxide, serotonin, and melatonin — molecules essential for immune function and mood. Total avoidance of the sun, coupled with overuse of synthetic products, has created the very fragility our ancestors never knew.
What’s Lurking in the Bottle
Investigations by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) have shown that around 75–80 percent of conventional sunscreens contain ingredients of concern — from hormone-disrupting agents to potential carcinogens.
Look at a label and you’ll often find oxybenzone, octocrylene, and homosalate, all linked to endocrine disruption, reduced testosterone, and possible reproductive harm. If it says “call Poison Control if swallowed,” maybe it shouldn’t be absorbed through your skin either.
Sunscreens and Environmental Damage
Toxic sunscreen ingredients don’t stay on your skin — they wash into oceans, harming coral reefs and marine life.
So severe is the impact that Hawaii, Palau, and parts of Mexico have banned sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. Researchers have found these chemicals cause coral bleaching, DNA damage in fish, and developmental abnormalities in marine organisms. Protecting your skin shouldn’t come at the expense of the ecosystem.
How to Get a Healthy Tan Without the Burn
You don’t need toxic chemicals to stay safe in the sun. The smarter approach is to rebuild your body’s natural resilience:
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Gradual exposure — Start with shorter sessions, preferably in morning or late-afternoon light.
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Cover up wisely — Use hats, shade, or mineral-based zinc-oxide sunscreen if necessary.
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Ditch seed oils — Polyunsaturated fats increase skin’s sensitivity to UV damage.
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Eat real fats — Cholesterol supports vitamin D synthesis and cell repair.
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Focus on nutrients — Vitamins A, C, and E act as antioxidants against sun stress.
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Stay nourished — Animal-based foods like Carnivore Bars deliver those protective nutrients in every bite.
Closing Thoughts
The sun has nourished life for millions of years. The idea that it suddenly became our enemy just as chemical sunscreens went mainstream deserves serious reconsideration. True protection doesn’t come from a bottle — it comes from a healthy body, nutrient-dense food, and respect for the natural world that made us.
Works Cited
- Environmental Working Group. Guide to Sunscreens 2024. EWG, 2024, www.ewg.org/sunscreen.
- Ruszkiewicz, Dorota M., et al. “Possible Explanations for Rising Melanoma Rates Despite Sunscreens.” Cancers, vol. 15, no. 24, 2023, p. 5868. MDPI, doi:10.3390/cancers15245868.
- Matta, M. K., et al. “Effect of Sunscreen Application on Plasma Concentration of Sunscreen Active Ingredients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA, vol. 321, no. 21, 2019, pp. 2082–2091. American Medical Association, doi:10.1001/jama.2019.5586
- Mitchelmore, C. L., et al. “Environmental Contamination and Toxicology of Sunscreen UV Filters: A Review.” Environmental Sciences Europe, vol. 33, no. 1, 2021, p. 109. Springer Nature, doi:10.1186/s12302-021-00515-w.
- Downs, Craig A., et al. “Toxicopathological Effects of the Sunscreen UV Filter Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3) on Coral Planulae and Cultured Primary Cells.” Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, vol. 70, no. 2, 2016, pp. 265–288. Springer Nature, doi:10.1007/s00244-015-0227-7.
- Serrano, M. A., et al. “Systemic Absorption and Hormonal Effects of Chemical UV Filters: A Review.” Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 13, 2022, p. 1007074. Frontiers Media SA, doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.1007074.
- Hawaii State Department of Health. Hawaii Sunscreen Ban Guidelines. 2022, health.hawaii.gov/sunscreen-ban/.