Why I don’t wear sunscreen

Despite this song that I really like:

I am not going to recommend sunscreen for anyone because I do not believe it is a good protection.

What it is supposed to do

In our modern world, there is a tradition of changing lifestyle during the summer. We spend most of the year indoors and suddenly, we go outside, on the beach and therefore we get burned by the sun.

Entered the marketing and the invention of sunscreen with one promise:  filter the bad UV to let the good ones make you look beautiful…

Ambre Solaire
According to Wikipedia,

The SPF(Sun Protection Factor) can be measured by applying sunscreen to the skin of a volunteer and measuring how long it takes before sunburn occurs when exposed to an artificial sunlight source.

It means that for a few dollars, some people get buttered with sunscreen and put under UV lamps until they are burned with and without the cream. They compare the difference between the two and they call it a Protection Factor).

The questions

As usual, marketing is doing great to convince us that wearing a chemical cocktail is going to protect us.

There are a few problems with this method:

  • Is it really protective again cancer?
  • The layer of cream used in the tests realistic?
  • Do the results come from UV filters or anti-inflammatory ingredients that are also present in most brands?
  • Are the risks of being exposed to the chemical cocktails really understood?
  • And what about the environment?

Of course, I don’t have proofs for that but I really believe our skin can adapt to the sun and the safest method is to avoid the temptation to sunbathe too rapidly when we arrive on vacation.

Since my wife is from Martinique, we often go there during the winter and the locals never stay under direct sun, it is so much more comfortable to rest under the shadow…