Scientists warned about "homemade" sunscreens

They are of little effectiveness and are risky because they are not subject to regulations or have been subjected to efficacy tests as is done with commercial filters

Consumers show a growing interest in "natural products" but, at the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, a study published today in the journal Health Communication warns about the low efficiency of home-made sunscreens.

Scientists at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Brooks College of Health at the University of North Florida examined various home-made creams and lotions offered on the Pinterest platform.

"The Internet is a great resource for families to seek inspiration in recipes, and for art and craft projects, but it is not, necessarily, for the home-based manufacturing of health-related products," said Lara McKenzie, co-author of the study.

"Homemade sunscreens are risky because they are not subject to regulations or have been subjected to efficacy tests as is done with commercial filters (...) When you do them at home you do not know if they are safe or effective," he added. .

The most common ingredients in the homemade recipes that appear on Pinterest are coconut and almond oil, beeswax, shea butter and cocoa butter. Some of them include essential oils of lavender and myrrh, and almost all add zinc oxide.

Few of these recipes, which on the other hand seem very attractive to mosquitoes, indicate their degree of protection of the skin against solar radiation, and those that do suggest a level 20 to 30 of sun protection factor (SPF). .

For comparison, the most common commercial formulas that guarantee a protection of 50 FPS, include chemicals such as octisalate, homosalate, octinoxate and titanium dioxide.

A sunscreen that is applied with spray and offers a protection of 100 FPS, has homosalate and octocicleno as its main active ingredients, accompanied with avobenzene, octinoxate and oxybenzene.

The study found that 95 percent of the "pins," that is, the recipes posted on Pinterest for home-made sunscreens, "positively describes the effectiveness of the products, and 68 percent recommend recipes that offer insufficient protection against radiation." ultraviolet".

"This is worrisome because the ingredients recommended in the 'pins' for household sunscreens offer a minimum protection, scientifically proven, but they are promoted as safe alternatives to commercial filters," the article added.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that after six months of age, all people should use products to protect the skin from solar radiation at a level of 30 FPS or higher.

The sunscreen should be applied with abundance and experts recommend the amount contained in 1/4 teaspoon for the face of a baby, 30 minutes before going outdoors, and another application every two hours.