How Sunscreen Can CAUSE Cancer

I‘m sharing a short article from the ALTERNATIVES Newsletter by Dr David Williams. The data is so useful I wanted to pass it on. (Dr. S.P.)

For years we’ve been told to stay out of the sun and use sunscreen to avoid skin cancer. But since the invention of sunscreen years ago, skin cancer rates in the U.S. have gone up, not down. Doctors can’t explain this. Nor can they explain why the incidence of skin cancer in tropical countries (where the sun’s rays are the strongest) is extremely low.

The explanation is simple: Sunshine isn’t bad, we really need it. Besides being our main source of vitamin D (a potent cancer-fighter), sunshine causes your body to produce melanin, your natural protector against skin cancer.

Melanin is the pigment responsible for turning your skin brown when you tan. Using sunscreen blocks the production of melanin, and deprives your skin of this protective ability. That’s why skin cancer has been on the rise in this country, despite the wide use of sunscreen.

Now scientists have uncovered another problem. Sunscreen itself may even cause cancer. Five chemicals commonly used in sunscreens have been found to behave like estrogen and stimulate tumor-growth and the spread of cancer cells. (*See footnote.)

My Advice:  It’ll be a while before health officials get wind of this. Even longer before they take action. Until then, here’s a better way to protect yourself: Make your own sunscreen from vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid). It protects the skin from both UV-B and UV-A  damage, while actually making it healthier. Simply mix the powder, which is widely available, with water or some form of cream and apply it to your skin. Reapply after 30 to 60 minutes.”

* Footnote: Want to check your sunscreens and cosmetics? The chemicals involved include octyldimethyl-PABA (OD-PABA), benzophenone-3 (Bp-3), homosalate (HMS), octyl-methoxycinnamate (OMC) and 4-methyl-benzylidene camphor (4-MBC).