Anti-sunscreen movement spurs criticism among doctors

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — It’s all over Instagram and Tik Tok. Search “anti-sunscreen,” and videos pop up in droves, filled with influencers trying to convince people that using sunscreen is more harmful than not.

John Shaff, a physician assistant with Stockton Dermatology, said patients often ask him about claims that chemicals in sunscreen cause cancer.

“When it comes to sunscreen, you really have to weigh the benefits and the risks,” he said. “There are some unknowns, but the benefits far outweigh the risks.”

Shaff agrees that all of the hard-to-pronounce ingredients are enough to give you pause, but isn’t convinced they’re enough to cause cancer because the chemical amount is small. But he recommends a mineral-based sunscreen before a chemical-based product.

“All of us tell our patients something is better than nothing. Don’t go out and not do anything, whether it be a spray, a chemical or a mineral-based sunscreen, or some type of clothing,” he said. “At the end of the day, something is better than nothing.”

Even better, Shaff said, is wearing sun-protective clothing because most people forget to reapply sunscreen. Here are a few other tips to help beat the heat this week:

• Stay in the shade as much as possible.
• Stay hydrated.
• Avoid peak hours of 2 – 4 p.m. But if you have to be outside, wear a hat and other protective clothing.
• Use a minimum of SPF 30 sunscreen. And reapply after around 90 minutes or after swimming.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.