Can sunscreen ingredients get into your blood?
Novel simultaneous method for the determination of avobenzone and oxybenzone in human plasma by UHPLC-MS/MS with phospholipid removal pretreatment: An application to a sunscreen clinical trial.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Oxybenzone levels reached up to 300.00 ng/mL—600 times above the FDA’s 0.5 ng/mL safety threshold.
Many assume topical products don’t enter the bloodstream significantly; this shows even approved, widely used sunscreens can lead to systemic exposure far beyond what regulators consider safe for systemic absorption.
Practical Takeaways
Consider switching to mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) if you use sunscreen daily or in large amounts, especially for children or pregnant individuals.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Oxybenzone levels reached up to 300.00 ng/mL—600 times above the FDA’s 0.5 ng/mL safety threshold.
Many assume topical products don’t enter the bloodstream significantly; this shows even approved, widely used sunscreens can lead to systemic exposure far beyond what regulators consider safe for systemic absorption.
Practical Takeaways
Consider switching to mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) if you use sunscreen daily or in large amounts, especially for children or pregnant individuals.
Publication
Journal
Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
Year
2021
Authors
Nageswara Rao Pilli, Suresh Narayanasamy, J. Florian, R. Zusterzeel, Vikram Patel, D. Strauss, M. Matta
Related Content
Claims (2)
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, tiny amounts of its chemicals—avobenzone and oxybenzone—can get into their blood, and scientists can measure these tiny amounts, though they’re way too small to see or feel.