Do sunscreens have more positive or negative effects? Study review

Abstract

Introduction: UV radiation is related to skin cancers, skin photoaging and sunburn. It can be harmful for human skin, so it is crucial to have a protection against sun rays. Substances protecting people from sun are sunscreens, that block and absorb UV radiation. The first sunscreen was discovered in 1928 and, since then, there have been many concerns about its safety, efectiveness and impant on the environment. Types of accessible sunscreens are physical sunscreens, chemical sunscreens and a combination. This study review is performed to assess possible risks of using sunscreens and evaluate if there are more positive or negative effects of their action.

The aim of the study:  To evaluate positive and negative effects of sunscreens action.

Materials and methods: We searched Pubmed and ResearchGate in order to find relevant studies about sunscreens and their impact on human skin, human health and environment.

Results: There seem to be some adverse effects of sunblockers for the environment, such as destroying coral reefs, bioaccumulating in fish tissue and water sources. In some studies there was mentioned a negative impact of sunscreens on hormonal systems and pregnancy, as well as on human skin. On the other hand, many studies display that sunblockers inhibit the carcinogenic effect of sun rays, preventing people from developing skin cancers.

Conclusions: Althought sunscreens can have some negative effects, studies showed that there are more positive effects of their action. They can be harmful for the environment, but at the same time they can be a protection. Sunscreens protect skin from developing skin cancer and also delay skin aging. However, the protection against sun is complex.