Why sunscreen isn't the protection you think it is

Over the past 50 years, we've been conditioned to fear the sun, to cover up, stay in the shade, and lather ourselves in SPF before stepping outside. But what if the very thing we've been told protects us is actually doing more harm than good?

This is a topic that divides opinion. Many of you will already be aware of the concerns around sunscreen, but for many others, this may be the first time you've encountered the case against it. Either way, it's worth exploring, because the evidence is building, and it's hard to ignore.

The sun is not something we should fear. Lack of sun exposure is consistently linked to disease and poor health outcomes. Yes, vitamin D is a big part of that and sunlight remains the most natural and effective way to produce it, but that's just the beginning. Infrared light from the sun has healing effects on the gut, the thyroid, and the skin itself. When we slather on UV-blocking cream, we may be unknowingly robbing our bodies of these benefits, while simultaneously exposing ourselves to a cocktail of harmful chemicals.

In this article, we'll cover the toxic ingredients hiding in most mainstream suncreams, how your diet directly influences whether you burn, studies linking sun avoidance to all cause mortality, natural alternatives to conventional sunscreen, and why wearing sunglasses might actually be undermining your body's ability to tan.

One important note before we dive in: overexposure to high UV is never a good idea. Being sensible, listening to your body, and building up exposure gradually is always the approach. With that said, let's get into it.

The toxic ingredients in suncream

Most people apply sunscreen without a second thought, trusting that a product sold widely and endorsed by health authorities must be safe. But a closer look at the ingredients list tells a different story.

Common chemical UV filters, such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, and homosalate, have been flagged in research as endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere with your hormonal system. Some have been classified as potentially carcinogenic, and yet they remain standard ingredients in the majority of products on the market. Add to that the artificial fragrances, preservatives, and seed-oil based carriers that frequently appear in these formulations, and you have a product that isn't just questionable, it's actively harming your skin, which it is ironically meant to protect.

What makes this worse is the context in which we apply it, directly onto skin that is then exposed to intense heat and UV radiation. That combination accelerates the absorption of these chemicals into the bloodstream and amplifies their potential for damage. If you wouldn't eat it, you probably shouldn't be putting it on your skin, especially not under the summer sun.

The problem with blocking the full light spectrum

Here's where it gets interesting. The very thing sunscreen is marketed for, blocking UV light, may itself be the issue.

Nature works as a complete system. When we experience full-spectrum sunlight, our skin knows exactly what to do with it. Melanin is produced, a solar callus (commonly known as a tan) is gradually built up, vitamin D is synthesised, and depending on your diet, it takes far longer than you might expect to burn. Our bodies have been adapting to sunlight for millennia.

The problem arises when we interfere with that system. Blocking certain wavelengths of light while allowing others through disrupts the natural balance. Some researchers argue this actually accelerates skin ageing and tissue damage rather than preventing it, similar to the way that extracting and refining seed oils causes far more harm than consuming seeds in their whole food form. Partial solutions to natural processes tend to create new problems. Full-spectrum light, as nature intended, is healing. Selectively filtering it is not.

Does avoiding the sun actually cause more harm?

This is perhaps the most striking part of the conversation, because the data increasingly suggests that sun avoidance may be riskier than sun exposure.

Think about it logically. Someone who rarely sees the sun is likely spending the majority of their time under artificial blue light, is probably vitamin D deficient, and is missing out on the infrared and full-spectrum light their body needs. Contrast that with someone who spends time outdoors regularly, their vitamin D levels are healthier, they're likely more active, they're sweating, they're grounded, they're simply engaging more with the conditions the human body was designed to thrive in. 

The data backs this up. A landmark Swedish study that followed 30,000 women over 20 years found that sun exposure was associated with reduced all-cause mortality and, strikingly, that avoiding the sun was identified as an independent risk factor for all cause mortality. Furthermore, when you look at global skin cancer rates geographically, the majority of cases are concentrated in countries with less sunlight, while regions with consistently high UV exposure tend to report lower rates. This strongly suggests that sunlight itself is not the primary driver of skin cancer, that something else, likely a combination of diet, lifestyle, and chemical exposure, is far more significant.

How your diet influences whether you burn

If you've been following health and nutrition closely, you'll know that diet affects virtually every aspect of how your body functions. Your bodies reaction to sun exposure is no different.

The rise of sun-fearing culture and the explosion in sunscreen use happened almost in parallel with another major dietary shift: the dramatic increase in seed oil consumption. This is unlikely to be a coincidence.

Seed oils are extremely high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). A high PUFA intake elevates free radical activity in the body and skin, and when that skin is exposed to UV light, those free radicals become oxidised, causing you to burn far more quickly than you otherwise would. Some people who switch to a low-PUFA diet report going from burning within minutes to comfortably tolerating hours of sun exposure, depending on their diet and how established their tan is.

Saturated fats, on the other hand, help neutralise free radicals and provide a degree of natural protection. Cleaning up your diet with whole foods, minimal processed foods, eliminating seed oils, can make a dramatic difference to your sun tolerance. The longer you maintain a low-PUFA diet, the more pronounced this effect becomes. Don't underestimate it.

Ditch the sunglasses

This one surprises people, but bear with me.

Our eyes do far more than allow us to see. The light that enters through our eyes sends direct signals to the brain, influencing our sleep-wake cycle, hormone production, and, crucially, melanin synthesis. When we wear UV-blocking lenses (or even just dark ones), we're essentially telling the brain that it's dimmer outside than it actually is. The brain responds by suppressing melanin production, which in turn reduces the skin's natural ability to protect itself from UV, meaning you're more likely to burn, not less.

Light sensitivity itself is worth paying attention to: a need for dark glasses in normal daylight can actually be a sign of underlying health issues, from mineral deficiencies to chronic stress. If you need some relief from brightness, a cap or hat is a far better option, it reduces glare without confusing your brain's light-sensing system. But if possible, allow the top of your head to receive light exposure too.

Building your solar callus

A healthy, even tan is genuinely a sign of good health, not vanity. The skin stores vitamin D for use during the darker winter months, and the gradual process of building a tan is your body adapting and strengthening its natural immunity and vitality. Here's how to do it sensibly:

Start with diet. As covered above, removing seed oils and switching to saturated fats is foundational. Your sun tolerance will improve noticeably.

Begin with low-UV hours. Morning and evening sunlight carries lower UV intensity and is an ideal starting point for building up exposure gradually.

Be smart at peak UV times. Rather than lying out in the midday sun for hours, keep sessions shorter and take breaks in the shade.

Hydrate properly. Both internally and externally, moisturise your skin with natural fats like tallow, coconut oil, or shea butter rather than synthetic lotions.

Stay grounded. Being barefoot on the earth while getting sun exposure has been shown to help neutralise free radicals through electron exchange with the ground.

Natural alternatives to sunscreen

So what do you actually use if you want some protection? The rule of thumb is simple: if you wouldn't eat it, don't put it on your skin.

Tallow and coconut oil are both excellent options. They naturally hydrate the skin and offer modest, broad-spectrum SPF properties without any synthetic chemicals.

Tallow combined with non-nano zinc oxide is a popular and effective alternative for those wanting more substantial protection, zinc oxide is one of the few UV filters that is genuinely considered safe, provided it's non-nano (meaning the particles are too large to penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream).

The bottom line

None of this is about throwing caution to the wind and baking in the midday sun. It's about understanding that the sun is not your enemy and that the tools we've been sold to protect us from it may be doing far more harm than the sun itself ever could.

When you stop using conventional sunscreen, the responsibility shifts: to what you eat, how you build up your exposure, and how you take care of your skin. If you live somewhere with limited sunlight, take it slowly when building your solar callus. If you live in a high-UV climate, be sensible, shade, timing, and gradual exposure are your best tools.

Embrace the sun. Build that solar callus. Take care of your skin, from the inside out.