The women who refuse to use suncream — even on their children
They fear the chemicals in it could do more harm than good. But experts say they’re so misguided
STEPHANIE BUCKLEY watched from the shade at the side of the pool as her four-year-old daughter splashed around happily in the shallow end.
Any minute now she was going to be public enemy number one. It was early morning in Greece and the scorching sun’s rays were beginning to creep over the rooftops. That meant Beatrice was going to have to get out of the water.
While any other mother would slather sunblock and sunscreen over their child, Stephanie is passionately against using them. Beatrice wears swimsuits with long sleeves and shorts, plus a hat, at all times. When it gets hot, she has to sit in the shade or play inside.
‘I would never want me or my children to burn but I don’t believe the chemicals in sunscreen are healthy,’ says Stephanie, a 36-year-old business advisor from Taunton, Somerset.
She doesn’t use them on Beatrice’s one-year-old sister, Aurelia, either. Nor does she use them on herself.
It would be unthinkable for most parents to go on holiday without a suitcase full of sunscreen and sunblock. Sunscreen filters out UV light before it reaches the lower layers of the skin. Sunblocks are the thick, chalky substances that deflect the sun’s rays.
THE advice from experts is to apply high SPF sunscreen, especially to children, before going into strong sunlight. cancer Research uk advises that, along with hats and long sleeves and staying in the shade in the heat of the day, sunscreen is vital to avoid skin cancer.
For most of her life, she used sunscreen diligently. yet when she became a mother, Stephanie, who runs an insolvency practice with her husband Gareth and is expecting her third child, began to worry about the products she was using.
‘Mothers are taught not to put anything containing chemicals on a baby’s skin, so when I looked up the ingredients in suncream, I was horrified,’ she says.
‘When Beatrice goes to preschool I have to put something on her because I can’t guarantee that she’ll be kept out of the sun. I use organic sunscreen which uses zinc oxide to block UVA and UVB rays. When we’re together, I prefer not to use anything.
‘I cover her in a sun suit and hat and make sure she’s not in the sun when it’s hottest.
‘I also make sure we eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, because I read that the antioxidants boost the skin’s sun protection.
‘In Greece I sat in the shade with the baby, who also had a sun suit on, and all I used on my skin was coconut oil to moisturise.’
Husband Gareth uses regular sunscreen, but Stephanie says he is far more likely to burn than her and their daughters.
‘He gets burnt sometimes even though he slathers himself in cream,’ she says. ‘I believe big cosmetic companies are more interested in profits than safety. I worry that the chemicals we put on our skin are contributing to illnesses including cancer.’
Sophie kirkham, 39, prefers not to use sunscreen on her son, Freddie, eight. The hypnobirthing teacher from london says: ‘I was brought up to wear sunscreen.
‘But I noticed on one holiday that it was stripping the nail varnish off my toenails and thought, That can’t be good for my skin.’
When her son was born, she bought a sunscreen for babies. ‘It made his skin sore,’ she says. ‘I decided just to be sensible with him, keeping him out of the sun when it’s at its strongest.’
Sophie, who is pregnant with her second child, is also concerned about Freddie’s vitamin D intake. A recent study revealed that almost 1 billion people may have insufficient levels.
‘It’s important for children to get vitamin D, so their skin needs to be exposed to the sun,’ says Sophie. ‘I never let Freddie burn but a little sun is fine.’
Those who doubt sunscreen’s safety cite studies that appear to show that compounds used may be harmful. last month Russian researchers suggested that avobenzone, a chemical commonly used in sunscreens, can break down when it comes into contact with UV rays or chlorine. It can then form toxins linked to cancer and infertility.
Studies have also shown an apparent link between increased use of sunscreen and higher risk of skin cancer. Experts say this is because people believe applying SPF means they can stay out in the sun for longer.
And critics believe that the new generation of titanium or zinc-based sunblocks aren’t safe. Traditionally these have been thick and visible on the skin — making them less popular than sunscreens. The latest sunblocks use nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which are transparent.
Dr Michael Prager, a Harley Street cosmetic doctor, says: ‘Nanoparticles can absorb into the skin and increase free radical damage.
‘We don’t know where these particles are going, and they’re connected with Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases. I wouldn’t put them on a small child.’
Some health bloggers have sparked a trend for ‘natural alternatives’ to sunscreens. They suggest that ingredients such as raspberry seed oil have an SPF of up to 50 — a claim medical experts dismiss as nonsense. A study last year found that natural oils, including aloe vera, coconut oil and olive oil, did virtually nothing to block UV rays.
DR SUSAN Mayou, consultant dermatologist at the cadogan clinic, in london, urges people to continue using sunscreen. ‘ until we know the evidence from recent studies is relevant to real life, we need to stick with what we’re doing,’ she says. ‘I advise people to use a high SPF on the face, neck and hands every day during summer.
‘you only get the SPF stated on the bottle if you apply the cream thickly. It’s vital to reapply it.
‘If people are concerned about chemicals in sunscreen they can use physical sunblocks such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which won’t seep into the skin. But some sunscreen is a must.’
Max Tuck, a 54-year-old veterinary surgeon from Southampton, is unconvinced. ‘The only time I use sunblock of any kind is in the tropics,’ she says. ‘I don’t use suncream at home. I wouldn’t lie in the sun for hours, but I believe we need sunshine to prevent vitamin D deficiencies.
‘Orthopaedic surgeons are seeing a resurgence in rickets caused by a lack of vitamin D. Our desire to protect ourselves from the sun is getting ridiculous,’ she adds.
‘We don’t know how much we can extrapolate from lab research, but if there’s enough concern we should start taking notice.’