Scientists Discover Sunscreen’s Hidden Environmental Threat
Now that summer’s here, millions are dutifully slathering on sunscreen, believing they’re protecting their health.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The fact that sunscreen blocks one of your body’s most critical health allies—the sun—is just the start of its problems.
It’s also full of dangerous toxins that have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and more.
New research suggests it could also be fueling an alarming environmental crisis.
The same chemicals that block UV rays from your skin also block them from reaching plastic, preventing the plastic from breaking down.
Plastic pollution in the ocean already threatens hundreds of species and wreaks havoc on marine ecosystems worldwide.
And while its breakdown is already notoriously slow, sunscreen practically grinds it to a halt.
A recent study found that a chemical in sunscreen, ethylhexyl methocxycinnamate (EHMC,) binds to plastics in the ocean, shielding them from sunlight and bacteria that would otherwise help break them down.
Worse yet, EHMC fuels the growth of harmful bacteria—like the Pseudomonas strains—that make it more resistant to breaking down.
I’ve been warning about the dangers of sunscreen for years. Most of it falls on deaf ears. But now that the risk is spreading to the environment as well, more people may start paying attention.
Regardless, you can do your part to protect your body and the environment by ditching the sunscreen. If you’re going to be outdoors for a long time and want to avoid sunburn, opt for a safer mineral sunscreen.
Instead of containing harmful chemicals that soak into your skin (and ultimately latch onto ocean plastics), these sunscreens contain minerals that sit on the surface of your skin to create a physical barrier to UV rays.
The Environmental Working Group’s Guide to Sunscreens can help you choose one.
P.S. Shocking study reveals the best way to avoid skin cancer.
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Charlotte E. Lee, Lauren F. Messer, Ruddy Wattiez, Sabine Matallana-Surget , The invisible threats of sunscreen as a plastic co-pollutant: Impact of a common organic UV filter on biofilm formation and metabolic function in the nascent marine plastisphere, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 495, 5 September 2025, 139103, DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139103
