Does sunscreen get into your blood?
Effect of Sunscreen Application Under Maximal Use Conditions on Plasma Concentration of Sunscreen Active Ingredients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Oxybenzone reached over 200 ng/mL in blood—far higher than the other ingredients and vastly above the 0.5 ng/mL threshold.
People assume all sunscreen chemicals behave similarly, but oxybenzone absorbed dramatically more—suggesting it may be uniquely bioavailable or chemically prone to penetration.
Practical Takeaways
If you're concerned, consider mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide/titanium dioxide) as an alternative, especially for daily use or children.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Oxybenzone reached over 200 ng/mL in blood—far higher than the other ingredients and vastly above the 0.5 ng/mL threshold.
People assume all sunscreen chemicals behave similarly, but oxybenzone absorbed dramatically more—suggesting it may be uniquely bioavailable or chemically prone to penetration.
Practical Takeaways
If you're concerned, consider mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide/titanium dioxide) as an alternative, especially for daily use or children.
Publication
Journal
JAMA
Year
2019
Authors
M. Matta, R. Zusterzeel, Nageswara Rao Pilli, Vikram Patel, D. Volpe, J. Florian, Luke Oh, E. Bashaw, I. Zineh, Carlos R. Sanabria, Sarah Kemp, A. Godfrey, S. Adah, Sergio G Coelho, Jian Wang, L. Furlong, C. Ganley, T. Michele, D. Strauss
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Claims (4)
When you put on sunscreen with chemicals like oxybenzone or avobenzone, your body absorbs more of those chemicals into your bloodstream than the FDA thinks is safe — even if you just use it normally on your skin.
When people use sunscreen heavily—covering most of their skin and reapplying it four times a day for four days—chemicals in the sunscreen get into their bloodstream at levels higher than what the FDA says should trigger safety checks.
When people use sunscreen all over their body as much as possible, their blood ends up with a lot of oxybenzone—over 200 nanograms per milliliter—while other sunscreen chemicals like avobenzone and octocrylene show up too, but in much smaller amounts.
When you use sunscreen a lot, tiny amounts of its chemicals can get into your bloodstream — but that doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. Scientists just need to study more to figure out if it matters for your health, so keep using sunscreen to protect your skin.