A recent study of common sunscreen ingredients has established that the chemicals absorbed into the bloodstream are at concentrations far greater than the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) safety threshold of 0.5 nanograms per milliliter after just four days of use.

The FDA study, which was published in January 2020 in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association, examined avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate and octinoxate — six of the most commonly used active ingredients in sunscreen. The six chemicals examined ranged from 5.8 nanograms per milliliter to 258.1, depending on the chemical and whether it was applied to the skin in the form of a lotion or spray. That is 11.6 times to 516.2 times the FDA threshold value of 0.5 ng/ml. The sheer magnitude over FDA threshold value is just mind boggling. Results: Octisalate (5.8ng/ml), Avobenzone (7.1ng/ml), Octocrylene (7.8ng/ml), Octinoxate (7.9ng/ml), Homosalate (23.1ng/ml), and the worst of them all, Oxybenzone at 258.1ng/ml.

For comparison, a concentration of 4 nanograms per milliliter of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the compound in marijuana that gets you high, corresponds to a blood alcohol content of 0.04% by weight — about what a person weighing 180 pounds would register after drinking two beers.

Previous studies have shown the health risks including endocrine disruption and reproductive harm associated with these chemicals in the bloodstream. You need sun protection. What do you do?

You do have a choice on what kind of product to use. There are two varieties of active sunscreen ingredients — mineral and chemical. The FDA in 2019 recognized the minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as safe and effective. Find sunscreens with these ingredients. Be informed. Keep you and your family safe.

ATZEN sunscreen products are mineral based and contain the active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. They are easy to apply and provide broad spectrum protection (UVA, UVB, and UVC rays) without the common disadvantages of mineral sunscreen. Our sunscreen products leave no whitish tint, non-sticky, non-oily, and pleasant smelling. You do have a choice. Be wise and choose ATZEN.

Check out our sun protection products.