Using sunscreen is always safer than not using it. Period. It’s perfectly reasonable to be concerned about sunscreen safety, though. In recent years, there’s been an endless amount of controversy surrounding sunscreens. Most recently, there have been issues with benzene in mainstream sunscreens and scandals over shoddy SPF ratings in Korean sunscreens. Historically, there have also been concerns about the hormone-disrupting effects of certain sunscreen filters.  In all of these circumstances, however, the protection from skin cancer that sunscreen provides always outweighs the potential risks it presents. The risks outlined by certain organizations are usually theoretical and tenuous at best. Yes, this even includes the risks of benzene exposure. As an illuminating post on the Labmuffin blog concludes, “benzene in personal care products has never been linked to cancer, but UV exposure definitely has.” If you’re interested in the deep science surrounding this issue, we recommend reading the full post. So, in other words, while certain sunscreens may not be perfect and while there can be occasional issues with the safety of some ingredients or contaminants, unprotected sun exposure is always far more dangerous.