Friday, July 11, 2008

Why I Don't Use Sunscreen

I almost never use sunscreen. Then I burn. Then everyone harasses me..."Why didn't you use sunscreen?"..."You're going to get skin cancer!"...and the like. I get a burn at the start of summer, then it peels and fades to a tan, and I'm good for the rest of the year. Humans have been living under the sun for thousands of years. We need the sun to survive. Then the ozone hole appeared, and the sun was prortrayed as this galactic killer, that would strike you down with skin cancer. Of course, pharmaceutical companies pounced on this. I've never been a fan of drugs. Pharmaceutical companies are in business to make profits. Without a profit, they wouldn't be in business. Naturally, sunscreen makers are making massive profits from us by pointing to all the studies showing that the sun is BAD for us! Slather on that sunscreen, wear long sleeves clothing, get out of the sun during the midday! Bah!!! It's a total scare tactic, in my humble opinion! I don't trust pharmaceutical companies. I don't trust that they're looking out for my best interest. They are looking out for their shareholders and profits! I've never been a fan of sunscreen for various reason. It started with "gut instinct". Here they are: 1. The chemicals in the sunscreen can be good for us. 2. We *need* the sun. We've been living under the sun for thousands of years, and it hasn't done us any harm. 3. The body is an amazing piece of work and is capable of remarkable things without the help of drugs. Now, for some resources to back up my beliefs



  • Wikipedia has a great page on the sunscreen controversy.

  • Another interesting site that points to lots of various studies, including studies that show skyrocketing rise in melanoma in countries that have heavily promoted sunscreen.

  • Skin cancer rates have not increased for young men in the past 30 years, but have gone up dramatically in women. Lethal skin cancer rate rises in young women. Women, in my humble opinion, are much more likely to use sun screen and go to tanning salons.