Why You Should Seek Out Safe Sunscreen

Why wait?

Safe sunscreen alternatives are available now

The FDA isn't pulling unsafe sunscreen from consumer shelves

Have you spent a lifetime assuming that you are using safe sunscreen because it's sold at stores everywhere?

Holy cow! We're wrong. Indeed, most commonly used sunscreen ingredients are not deemed safe.

I've dug deep on the FDA's 1999 study (which is no longer listed in the FDA website) and 2019 ruling on the safety of sunscreen active ingredients and it's maddening! Safe sunscreen is something we should all be buying.

Bottom line: a 2019 FDA assessment (see pages 138-158 for a laundry list of peer-reviewed studies the FDA used to make recommendations) reported that the most widely used chemical active ingredients used in sunscreens sold in the U.S. are not "Generally Recognized As Safe."

Yet, hundreds of sunscreen products with the FDA-reported unsafe ingredients remain on the shelves because the organization formed to protect the health of US citizens decided to "maintain status quo" of keeping products on the shelves while they conduct further studies "as manufacturers requested."

The compelling question is: why should you wait for another set of studies to be published to ditch the hormone-disrupting, allergy-inducing, cancer-causing chemical sunscreens and switch to healthier and effective alternative non-toxic safe sunscreen?

buy safe sunscreen tried by me and chosen for my family

Why You Should Only Use Non-Toxic Safe Sunscreen

Chemical sunscreen ingredients absorb into the skin and stay the bloodstream for one week after one use and have been clinically found in human breast milk, amniotic fluid, urine and blood plasma.

Per an FDA 1999 study on sunscreen safety, "public record does NOT contain sufficient data to support a positive Generally Recognized As Safe (GRASE) determination for cinoxate, dioxybenzone, ensulizole, homosalate, meradimate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, padimate O, sulisobenzone, oxybenzone or avobenzone at this time". As of this blog post, no progress has been made on pulling U.S. sunscreens with harmful ingredients from our store shelves 24 years later!

Why doesn't the FDA deem these common sunscreen chemicals safe and effective? Clinical studies show that these chemicals disrupt hormones in men & women, increase breast cancer cell growth, trigger eczema & allergy flareups & destroy coral reefs.

Consider also that higher SPF chemical sunscreens use higher concentrations of these chemicals. How much toxic load can humans & sea life take on?

Did you know Hawaii banned the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone an octinoxate and mandating the sale of non-toxic sunscreen because of the harm it places on marine life? These chemicals, along with global warming, are contributing to the destruction of coral reefs and marine life worldwide.

According to the 2019 FDA recommendation, the only generally recognized safe & effective active sunscreen ingredients are zinc oxide & titanium dioxide.

Easy Non-Toxic Safe Sunscreen Switches

mineral (zinc oxide & titanium dioxide)-based, UVA/UVB sunscreen that protects humans, coral reefs and marine life

protective clothing like wide-brimmed hats, rash guards and shade

Exposome: A New Area of Disease Prevention Study

“The exposome is the concept that nearly all [chemical] exposures, even from the time in utero, will have an impact on us,” says Dr. Konstantinos Lazaridis with Mayo Clinic. The study of your exposome— exposomics—is a whole new way to think about looking after our health. It’s an invitation for us to stop and take stock of all the crap that goes into our bodies."

Toxins can cause imbalances, lead to negative effects on wellness and influence your daily and long-term health.

Safe & Effective
Mineral-Based, Non-Toxic Sunscreen

Primary Ingredients:
non-nano
Zinc Oxide &
Titanium Dioxide

Zinc oxide & titanium dioxide are the only active sunscreen ingredients deemed Generally Recognized As Safe by the FDA

Active ingredients zinc oxide & titanium dioxide work as physical barriers to reflect the sun's UV rays to protect your skin

Choose sunscreen that has full-spectrum (UVA/UVB) coverage

Great for all skin types

Seek out formulas without fragrance listed in the ingredient list

Healthy for Ocean life and reefs

Look for non-nano mineral-based formulas

Read about my recommended mineral-based, non-toxic sunscreen line of products (which I personally use without a single burn to date for my whole family) by clicking here. Return to the link below to purchase at a discount.

Some More Helpful Non-Toxic Product Resources

Article Links:

"Only One Quarter of Sunscreens on Store Shelves are Safe and Effective, New Report Says" posted on CNN.com, May 20, 2025

"How Toxic Is Your Body?" Men's Health

Here is a well-written Time Magazine article that gives an overview of the historic problem behind sunscreen.

A 2021 scientific study that prompted major sunscreen manufacturers to voluntarily recall sunscreens.

A deeper dive on what to look for in non-toxic sunscreen.

Click here to receive my free 25 Ditch & Switch Low-Toxin Products Guide and weekly alerts to newly posted low-toxin product deep dive Ditch & Switch recommendations.

*I personally recommend products that I use and choose after thorough research and product trials. On average, I spend 1-3 hours researching healthy alternatives and try 3-5 products (if I can find that many) before I choose one that performs well and scores low on the toxicity radar. Because I am trying to earn a living by sharing recommendations, I might receive a small commission if you decide to purchase from retail links on decreaseyourtoxins.com. You might notice that many of my product recommendations are doTERRA branded and that is because I chose to become a wellness advocate for doTERRA after experiencing years of positive results using the plant-based products that do not contain harmful chemicals. I'm obsessed with sharing what works! Thank you in advance for considering my point of view and recommendations, because what you put in and on your body matters.