Nutrition Facts with Dr. Greger

Screening the Sunscreens

55 snips
Sep 11, 2025
Is sunscreen really a shield against aging and cancer? Discover the truth about daily application and its crucial role in skin health, especially for lighter skin tones. Dive into the safety of various sunscreen formulations, with a focus on mineral options. Uncover the balance between UV exposure and vitamin D, while considering demographic usage trends. Learn how diet can complement sunscreen use for anti-aging benefits and the surprising environmental effects of certain products.
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INSIGHT

Sun Protection Is The Single Most Effective Anti-Aging Measure

  • Daily application of SPF 30+ sunscreen and sun avoidance are the most important practices to slow visible skin aging.
  • Up to 90% of facial aging in lighter skin is due to sun exposure, with UVA driving aging and UVB causing burns.
ADVICE

Use Broad-Spectrum SPF 30+ Daily

  • Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily; an RCT showed daily use prevented detectable skin aging over 4.5 years.
  • Prefer SPF 30+ for cancer prevention, and consider SPF 50+ because most people under-apply.
INSIGHT

RCTs Confirm Sunscreen Lowers Some Cancer Risks

  • Observational links between sunscreen and higher cancer risk reflect behavioral confounding by sunbathers using sunscreen more.
  • RCTs in high-risk groups show sunscreen reduces precancerous lesions and invasive squamous cell carcinoma.
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