Applying sunscreen every day: lots of marketing, few benefits – 12/20/2024 at 10:36 a.m.

“The most important step in your skincare routine is sunscreen.” On social networks, many influencers are calling for the daily application of sunscreen, a trend that is above all marketing but useless and even risky for your health.

Protection against UV, anti-wrinkle remedy, or guarantee of skin elasticity: the promised benefits are tempting while exposure to the sun is the main cause of skin cancer.

However, the usefulness of applying sunscreen every day is far from proven.

“It is absolutely not necessary,” says Céline Couteau, doctor of pharmacy and specialist in cosmetology. “We especially need to monitor the UV index. At 0 or 1 – like at the moment – ​​it is not useful to protect yourself against a threat that does not exist,” she told AFP.

And even though it has been proven that the application of sunscreen reduces skin aging, in the same way as for the prevention of skin cancers, “this is only true if we expose ourselves to the sun “, continues the researcher.

Above all, the people who relay this fashion often fail to mention the potential harmful effects on the skin and health of the penetration of sun filters.

– “Sales argument” –

Beyond the risks of intolerance, irritation or allergy, “certain filters used are suspected of being endocrine disruptors, or even carcinogenic”, points out Céline Couteau, such as oxybenzone or octocrylene whose maximum limits concentration limits have been reduced by the European Commission.

“The problem is that we lack data,” laments Jean-David Zeitoun, doctor of medicine and doctor of clinical epidemiology.

“We do not know whether or not applying sunscreen, in addition to what is essential, is counterbalanced by the hormonal and environmental effects linked to the chemicals contained in these products,” he continues.

During the summer, at the hottest times, for children, “there are no questions to ask, you must use sunscreen”, recalls Céline Couteau, “but daily, absolutely not”.

However, this trend has spread for several years, including in all cosmetic products.

Moisturizer, foundation, powder, blush…almost all now promise sun protection and display a sun protection factor (SPF).

“This is a real challenge for the industrial cosmetics sector. More and more brands are positioning themselves in this market,” comments Erwan Poivet, scientific advisor to the Federation of Beauty Companies (FEBEA), to AFP. .

But these products cannot be considered as real sun protection.

“This is mainly an aesthetic effect because UV rays cause skin aging. The point of SPF here is only to promise you to keep your skin young,” emphasizes Erwan Poivet.

Problem: many professionals fear that these products will cause confusion among consumers.

“It’s a great selling point but the risk is that it misleads people who imagine that this is sufficient to be protected,” notes Christophe Bedane, professor of dermatology at Dijon University Hospital.

– Simplify labeling –

With a view to revising the EU recommendation to manufacturers “on the safety and effectiveness claims” of these products which dates from 2006, ANSES has also recommended removing any mention of sun protection. on the packaging of cosmetic products incorporating a UV filter.

“This product is applied once a day, with a lower quantity applied. On the contrary, a sun protection product requires the application of a sufficient quantity and re-application during the day to be fully effective,” explains the health agency.

Opposed to the deletion of this mention, Erwan Poivet concedes that it requires more explanations.

“An explanatory scenario must be defined on the packaging in order to better support the consumer,” he maintains.

For sun creams, ANSES also recommends simplifying labeling by retaining only three categories of protection: “Low, medium or strong”.

For Céline Couteau, it is also about “re-educating people” and stopping making them believe that sunscreen “is a concrete wall”.

“Sunscreen helps limit the damage but it never reduces it to zero.”