Does sunscreen save skin — or damage it?

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To slather or not to slather?
In any case, there is a faction of respected dermatologists who aren’t ready to discount even a small study. “I think the UC Riverside free-radical study is true — fake skin like this is commonly used in studies, and the researchers used advanced methods to image bioengineered skin and measure the amount of free-radical production,” says Leslie Baumann, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute, who has been at the forefront of many dermatological studies. “We’ve actually been talking about this for a couple of years,” she says.

Sheldon Pinnell, a professor of dermatology at Duke University School of Medicine, also thinks the study has validity. “It’s known that some sunscreens behave in this manner. They get inside the skin and absorb energy, and that energy becomes free radicals, which can potentially cause harm,” he says, naming avobenzone (which the UC Riverside study didn’t test) as one that “can form fairly active free radicals.” While more research is needed, the science has made one thing clear: Adding high-quality antioxidants to sunscreen can counteract any free-radical activity, as long as there are enough of them in the formulation. Antioxidants act like marriage counselors, striving to keep straying electrons from splitting into free radicals. (Fortunately, they are a hell of a lot more successful than marriage counselors.) A few companies, including Coppertone, Murad, Priori, and Topix, have had antioxidant sunscreens for several years. Their standout products, according to Baumann, are Coppertone’s NutraShield Sunscreen Lotion with Dual Defense, Murad Oil-Free Sunblock, Priori Radical Defense Sunscreen, and Topix’s Citrix Antioxidant Sunscreen; they all have hefty amounts of good quality antioxidants, she says.

“We looked at vitamins C and E, and they really do a great job of quenching the free radicals,” says Hanson. “Personally, I look for a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above and antioxidants high up on the ingredient list.” (The higher up, the more there are.) And they do not have to be in your sunscreen to work, adds Pinnell, who’s studied the free radical fighters extensively. “Once absorbed into the skin, antioxidants can last about four days. So even if you forget to put them on one morning, they’re still in there working for you.” Baumann herself isn’t as relaxed about her own routine: “I always put on a layer of antioxidants first and then a sunscreen also containing them afterward.”

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Still, dermatologists — even ones who believe the study — are adamant about not overstating the dangers. “It would be terrible to give people the message that sunscreen is bad and you shouldn’t use it,” says Amy B. Lewis, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “Right now we have one small, inconclusive study versus huge amounts of data that show that lack of sun protection causes DNA damage, melanoma, basal-cell and squamous cell skin cancer, and horrible deformed moles and wrinkles, and there is great evidence for prolonged use of sunscreen to protect against all of those things. If these chemicals cause something, the sun exposure you’re trading it for is going to cause more free radicals.”

The UC Riverside researchers also insist that their take-home message wasn’t to stop using sunscreen. “Our work supports what the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends, which is to reapply sunscreen often and liberally,” Hanson says. “At first, you could look at our data and say, ‘Should I not wear sunscreen?’ — but the data really says it’s still the best defense we have against sun damage, especially with antioxidants to neutralize any free radicals. We just need to start using it in a smarter way.” And it’s not that there’s a conspiracy by the sunscreen industry, Hanson insists: “I found most companies to be extremely receptive to this data — contacting me, embracing the study, and asking for more information because they want better products. The science is just starting to catch up.”

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Does sunscreen save skin — or damage it?