Betty, thank you for explaining that.

I believe there is no harm for humans because this ingredient has been used for years before these rumours even started and this never posed a concern. Also, it’s the dose and how it’s used that makes the poison. Octinoxate is used in smaller doses and most of what you put on your skin does NOT penetrate. In my opinion, the food we eat, the pollution in the environment, and the stress we’re constantly under is what really causes cancer. In comparison to that, the danger of Octinoxate, in the way it’s currently used in sunscreen, is minimal.

As there is no conclusive research one way or other, it’s up to each person to assess their level of risk. Driving a car is dangerous and a car accident is more likely to kill you than using a sunscreen with Octinoxate, yet people do it every single day. EVERYTHING can kill you (even Vitamin C and water are toxic in high enough concentrations), so according to this logic, you’d have to avoid everything.

My job here is to state the facts and let people make up their own minds. Until scientists tell me to avoid it (and they don’t, yet), I don’t see any reason to, unless you’re pregnant or just particularly cautious.

I mean this in the best way but I think Kate’s point was that you are saying humans aren’t rats and “just because something hurts them, it doesn’t mean it will hurt us, too.” But we don’t actually know if it will hurt us too. We don’t know the long term effects on humans. Therefore, to 100% confidently say that there is no harm to humans, as you imply in this post, is kind of scary. I think Kate was stating that you are suggesting testing on humans because in some sense, that’s what we are doing when we “don’t know if it will hurt us too.” Yes, research hasn’t been 100% conclusive that it causes harm, but there has been indication that it COULD and continues to be investigated. That’s why people suggest avoiding it to be safe – the same thing you seem to suggest while pregnant. Another resource just for reference. https://www.healthline.com/health/octinoxate#is-it-safe

Shal, unless you’re allergic to it, it’s safe.

Deepa, if you’re not allergic to them, yes it’s safe.