exposure to sunlight. The damage done to the genes and chromosomes impairs the cell’s ability to
properly reproduce itself. UV light induces damage to the DNA in the presence of PABA, but to implicate
UV light for this effect is tantamount to saying oxygen is dangerous because when it reacts with carbon
atoms it turns into a harmful waste product in our blood.
Most sunscreens normally protect against UVA, UVB, or both.^24 They are also rated according to a
sun protection factor (SPF), which indicates the time of burn protection when compared to sun exposure
without lotion. For example, an SPF of 15 indicates that it should provide 300 minutes of protection for
someone who could normally stay in the sun for 20 minutes without burning. SPFs only apply to
protection rating against UVB, not UVA. But since the effectiveness of sunscreen usually wears off well
before the calculated time, unsuspecting sunbathers keep applying very large amounts of these chemical
poisons to their skin. The skin is not made of plastic, but of living cells. The constant biochemical warfare
fought on the surface of the skin interferes with and destroys its own protective mechanisms, and makes it
susceptible to permanent damage and abnormal cell growth. Such suspicions have caused some chemicals
found in sun lotions, such as 5-methoxypsoralen, to be discontinued.
The main problem with using sunscreens is, however, that they may seduce sunbathers to stay in the
sun much longer than it would normally be wise to do. A British medical report, released in July 1996 and
published as the lead article in the prestigious British Medical Journal, showed that the use of sunscreens
might indeed encourage skin cancer because they prompt people to stay in the sun far too long. Their use
can postpone the onset of sunburn by many hours. Most people think that this is advantageous, whereas in
fact it puts their lives at risk. The doctors who edited the report cited studies conducted in 1995 in
Western Europe and Scandinavia that showed frequent users of sunscreen lotion actually suffered
disproportionately higher rates of skin cancer. The report states: “Sunscreens containing only ultraviolet B
blocks protect against sunburn and therefore enable greater exposure to ultraviolet A (UVA) than would
otherwise be possible to obtain.” In other words, many sunbathers expose themselves to much more UVA
than they would if they didn’t use screens. Sunburn, in fact, is the body’s natural defense response against
more serious damage, such as skin cancer.
Without sunscreen your skin begins to itch uncomfortably when exposed to too much sun. In contrast,
with the use of sunscreen you would not notice when your body has had enough sun because your first
line of defense—unbearable sunburn—has been undermined. Overexposure to UVA combined with
external harmful chemicals and, perhaps, internal toxins, is the perfect recipe to damage skin cells and
cause malignancies. Under normal conditions (without sunscreen), you would never get too much UVA
even if you lay in the sun for many hours. Although you would burn your skin through overexposure to
UVB, you would still be protected against too much UVA.
As Dr. Ackerman discovered, although sunburn may temporarily impair immune functions and
damage the skin, there is no proof that it can cause skin cancer. The British Medical Journal concluded
that medical experts know “little about the precise relation between sunburn and skin cancer.” This fact
refers to all skin cancers, especially the fatal type of skin cancer— melanoma. Despite the colossal
amount of research done on skin cancers, there has been no indication that malignant melanoma has any
links with UV exposure. But what is known for sure is that sunscreen not only fails to prevent skin cancer
24
Of the three UV rays, UVA is mainly responsible for the tanning response, UVB activates the synthesis of vitamin D which
is crucial for the absorption of calcium and other minerals, while UVC, almost completely filtered out by the Earth's ozone
layer, is germicidal and kills bacteria, viruses and other disease causing germs.