Well this should not scare you from using sunscreen. Regulators are still unsure if these ingredients absorbed in the bloodstream pose any health hazard.

A recent Study upholds findings from an earlier pilot study and suggests that six chemicals commonly used in Sunscreen quickly absorb into the bloodstream after application.

“Results from our study released today show that there is evidence that some sunscreen active ingredients may be absorbed,” Janet Woodcock, MD, director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, who is based in Brookville, Maryland, said in a statement issued in conjunction with the latest trial results. The FDA declined to comment directly on the findings.

The new study was published in the January 2020 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), while the pilot study appeared in May 2019 in the same journal.

“Meanwhile, the fact that an ingredient is absorbed through the skin and into the body does not mean that the ingredient is harmful, nor does the FDA seeking further information indicate such,” Dr. Woodcock said in the statement.

In other words, findings from the latest FDA sunscreen trial don’t mean people should stop using sunscreen, the study authors concluded. Instead, they mean more research is needed.

What the New Findings Brought to Light About Sunscreen Chemicals

The more recent study was fashioned to test whether six common sunscreen ingredients exceeded 0.5 nanograms per milliliter of blood. The FDA recommends that products that enter the bloodstream in higher concentrations get additional safety testing.

For this trial, scientists carried out blood tests on 48 adults to look for six chemicals that are used in commercially available sunscreens: avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, octinoxate, homosalate, and octisalate.

According to the skin-care product company CeraVe, those are ingredients commonly found in chemical sunscreens. Meanwhile, the two active ingredients in mineral sunscreen are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

In the study, on the first day of testing, researchers asked people to apply one of four different types of sunscreen — three sprays and one lotion — just once. For the next three days, researchers asked them to reapply every two hours for a total of four applications.

All six chemicals entered the bloodstream at levels exceeding the FDA threshold for recommending additional safety tests after a single application of all four sunscreen formulations. And concentrations of these chemicals increased over time.

The pilot study published in 2019 looked only at multiple daily applications of sunscreen and tested three of the six chemicals examined in the new trial — avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octocrylene — as well as one other ingredient, ecamsule. This pilot study looked at four sunscreen formulations — two sprays, a lotion, and a cream.

Like the latest trial, this pilot study also found that the all the chemicals soaked into the body at concentrations above the FDA threshold for recommending additional safety tests.

“We have known for many years that certain chemical sunscreens can be absorbed into the blood,” says Adewole S. Adamson, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School.

The pioneer study last year showed that regularly reapplying sunscreen throughout the day allowed chemicals to enter the bloodstream, Dr. Adamson, author of an editorial accompanying the newest study in JAMA, says.

The recent study found chemicals from sunscreen can seep into the blood even after a single application, and remain in the body at levels above the FDA threshold for safety tests for more than two weeks, Adamson says.

“These results are important because people should know what they are putting on their bodies,” Adamson says. “However, this study does not suggest chemicals in sunscreen are harmful if absorbed.”

Mineral Sunscreens Can Be a Good Replacement for Chemical Sunscreens

The FDA proposed a rule on February 26, 2019, asking sunscreen manufacturers to provide more safety information on active ingredients in these products.

The two active ingredients commonly used in mineral sunscreen don’t appear to enter the bloodstream at concentrations high enough to raise safety concerns, the FDA said in a statement issued when these rules were proposed.

“For now, consumers who want to avoid these chemicals can use zinc oxide–based formulations,” says David J. Leffell, MD, a professor of dermatology and surgery at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, who wasn’t involved in the FDA sunscreen studies.

Mineral-based sunscreens are safe, but can sometimes leave a sticky or chalky residue behind.

Some previous research in animals and humans has identified potential neurological and hormonal problems with certain chemicals in sunscreen, but results have been mixed and many studies tested exposures much higher than people would typically have from applying sunblock in real-life situations.

Chemicals in sunscreen, for instance, are linked with changes in biomarkers for inflammation in the brain that have been linked to cognitive impairment, according to a research review published in May 2017 in Toxicology Reports. But more research is required to know whether any ingredients in sunscreen directly impair brain function, the authors of this study conclude.

Some of these chemicals may also be so-called endocrine disruptors, interfering with the production of hormones needed for normal growth and development, according to a review published in August 2016 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

“There have been some studies finding links between higher levels of chemical sunscreen in mothers to certain birth defects,” says Erum Ilyas, MD, a dermatologist at Montgomery Dermatology in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, who wasn’t involved in the FDA sunscreen studies.

“However, this does not necessarily mean there is causality,” Dr. Ilyas says. “In other words, we do not know if they are truly linked.”

Other Means to Protect Your Skin From Early Signs of Aging and Cancer

Users who are concerned about the potential risks of sunscreen, but still want to fend off wrinkles and cancer, have other options, Ilyas added. Authors of a study published in May 2019 in Health Communication warned that DIY sunscreen is not the route to go, as these formulations are unregulated and can leave you unprotected from the sun’s harmful rays.

Yet Ilyas says that hats, sunglasses, and clothing with sun protection can be useful.

Still, you may want to think twice before forgoing sunscreen application. “With skin cancer being the most common form of cancer in the United States, ultraviolet radiation from the sun needs to be addressed,” says Aaron S. Farberg, MD, of the Arkansas Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center in Little Rock. “Evidence shows that sun protection and sunscreen for people of all ages can help lessen the risk of skin cancer.”

For maximum protection against skin cancer, sun protection is necessary year round, even on cloudy days, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (ADD).

Most people only apply about half the needed amount, and they often forget to cover places like the top of their feet, neck, ears, and the top of their head, the ADD warns. Adults should use about 1 ounce of sunscreen — enough to fill a shot glass — to cover their entire body.

And they should put on sunscreen 15 minutes before going outdoors, and reapply every two hours, as well as after swimming or sweating, the ADD advises.

“You should not stop using sunscreen,” Adamson says. “It is an important part of comprehensive UV protection that includes photoprotective clothing, eyewear, and avoidance of intense sun exposure.”

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