Sunscreen has become a must-have for every girl. Be it winter or summer, stepping out under the sun without slathering dollops of the SPF scream on all exposed skin can result in some serious tanning. Apart from getting tan, the daily application of correct SPF can also prevent sunburn, premature aging, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. But, what probably no one knows is that these sunscreens also come with a price. Being chemical in nature they tend to have unavoidable side effects. It also poses risk from different compounds, such as tetracycline, sulfa drugs, and phenothiazine. All of these are widely used in today’s sunscreen. To make it less complicated, down below are some of the dark sides of your sunscreen that none else will tell you. Except us!
Allergic reaction: Ingredients in sunscreen often tend to not ‘suit’ or cause irritation to people with sensitive skin. Some people can also develop an allergic reaction with signs such as redness, swelling, and itchiness. This usually happens due to fragrance, preservatives or PABA in their making. One must do a patch test before investing in a sunscreen.
Causes acne: An acne-prone skin tends to react more quickly to sunscreens. Added mineral oils in sunscreen can block pore and hair follicles, causing more acne on skin. One must opt for non-comedogenic sunscreen or look for zinc in their ingredients list.
Cause irritation to the eyes: One must never apply sunscreen near to their eyes. The tender skin around the eye area can get affected from heavy sunscreens. It is best to rinse your eyes thoroughly with cold water in case of contact.
Can cause cancer: A lot of sunscreen includes ingredients that can affect estrogens levels leading to development of cancer cells. However, there’s no medical evidence that sunscreen solely causes cancer.
