My message is one of empowerment, not controversy.

My assistant receives a call from a journalist from La Presse, Pascale Breton: "I would like to set the record straight with Jacynthe following last Sunday's controversy." My assistant arranges a telephone appointment with her, reassuring me: "Jacynthe, she told me that she doesn't want to denigrate you but to set the record straight about natural products..." I accept.

When she contacts me, she begins the conversation like this: "I have to tell you that I'm on the pharmacist's side..." I then wonder what I'm doing talking to her and where is journalistic integrity and objectivity, she adds: "I'm an editorialist, I have the right to my opinion"

I obviously feel like I'm in a nightmare when I read his contemptuous text about me, written without objectivity (in the "debate" section while he only repeats his position), which misinforms once again, ignores 100% of our conversation (I told him, among other things, that if I had removed my Facebook status, it was because it had become a place for the outpouring of hatred from people outside our community, which until then had been so positive and quick to help each other) and the 8 scientific sources* that I sent him (which I leave at the bottom of this article). I wonder about the reason for his call. What's more, I mention to him that the pharmacist Jean-Yves Dionne, whom I had taken the trouble to contact before my interview with her, was available to speak to him. He has not received any news.

Since this lady has an audience ten times larger than mine, she has affected me in a very immoral way. I have a favor to ask of you: help me set the record straight with as many people as possible. Please share.

Here is what a more balanced pharmacist, Jean-Yves Dionne, wrote from the same source so that you can make up your own mind. All I wanted was to offer a healthy solution (shea butter + zinc oxide) as sunscreen, because, since last February, it has been requested in large numbers by you.

Here is the text by Jean-Yves Dionne:

Do sunscreens and creams effectively protect against skin cancer? Some might say, "Of course, why even ask?" Sunscreens with a high SPF are the best way to prevent skin cancer. Dermatologists say so, in fact.

Yet…

It is known that sun exposure is the best way to get vitamin D. Supplements are useful in winter, and when we cannot expose ourselves to the sun, but the sun provides us with more benefits. Beyond the feeling of well-being that the sun provides and the stimulation of vitamin D synthesis, exposure to ultraviolet B rays leads to the formation of other substances in the body, notably lumisterol.(1) Vitamin D and lumisterol have the ability to inhibit the formation of cancer induced by ultraviolet rays.(1) This adaptation mechanism of the skin, greatly underestimated by sunscreen enthusiasts, protects us from damage caused by the sun. Thus, during sun exposure, the skin has several means of protection by producing:

• melanin which blocks UV penetration;
• vitamin D and lumisterol which work together to minimize the impact of rays inside the skin.

Mind you, I'm not saying these protection systems are infallible and that it's impossible to exceed their effectiveness limits. The appearance of inflammation and sunburn warns us when we exceed this limit. But does using sunscreen ensure safe exposure?

Frequent use of sunscreen increases the risk of melanoma

In 2000, researchers sought to assess the effect of sunscreen use on melanoma prevention. Their results were, to say the least, different from what they expected.

When comparing people who always wear sunscreen with those who never do, regular sunscreen use appears to increase the risk of malignant melanoma by about 80% (OR = 1.8, 95% CI : 1.1 to 2.9). This increase in relative risk is terribly magnified in people who report using sunscreens to stay in the sun longer, multiplying the risk by almost 9 (adjusted OR = 8.7, 95% CI: 1.0 to 75.8).(2)

The most likely explanation for these findings is likely the improper use of sunscreens, particularly those with a low sun protection factor (SPF), during prolonged sun exposure.

Should we avoid going out in the sun?

In 2014, Swedish researchers published a study in which they followed nearly 30,000 women aged 25 to 64 over a period of 20 years. They compared the women's behavior in relation to the sun and found that avoiding sun exposure increases the risk of mortality by 2 times (200%) compared to regular sun exposure.(3) These figures are interesting, but it must be remembered that the study comes from Sweden, where the sun is a rare commodity. On the other hand, they clearly show us the necessity of sun exposure for health. See also on this subject: https://www.jydionne.com/uv-cancer-de-la-peau/

What can we learn from all this?

The sun is vital for health. If it were as dangerous as some claim, the human race would have long since disappeared. Evolution must have provided us with the tools to properly use and tolerate the sun. However, in our northern regions (and, according to habits and customs, in several hot countries), since the sun is no longer the constant companion it was at the dawn of humanity, we must adjust. Like almost everything good, the sun must be taken in moderation, but regularly. Thus, a spring overdose (with or without sunscreen) will have a harmful effect on our skin: a nasty sunburn. We must therefore use our judgment. There are ways to protect ourselves naturally from the harmful effects of the sun (see https://www.jydionne.com/avoir-une-belle-peau/ and https://www.jydionne.com/quand-la-peau-ne-tolere-plus-le-soleil/ ). Also, be careful with the ingredients in sunscreens, not all of them are our friends (see https://www.jydionne.com/les-ecrans-solaires-salutaires-ou-pernicieux/ ).

Have a great summer!

References:

1. Dixon KM, Norman AW, Sequeira VB, Mohan R, Rybchyn MS, Reeve VE, Halliday GM, Mason RS. 1α,25(OH)2-vitamin D and a nongenomic vitamin D analog inhibit ultraviolet radiation-induced skin carcinogenesis. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011 Sep;4(9):1485-94. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-11-0165. PubMed PMID: 21733837. https://cancerpreventionresearch.aacrjournals.org/content/4/9/1485.long
2. Westerdahl J, Ingvar C, Mâsbäck A, Olsson H. Sunscreen use and malignant melanoma. Int J Cancer . 2000 Jul 1;87(1):145-50. PubMed PMID: 10861466. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10861466
3. Lindqvist PG, Epstein E, Landin-Olsson M, Ingvar C, Nielsen K, Stenbeck M, Olsson H. Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for all-cause mortality: results from the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort. J Intern Med . 2014 Jul;276(1):77-86. doi:10.1111/joim.12251. PubMed PMID: 24697969. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24697969

*Here are the references I sent to the editorialist, namely that of the Karloniska Institute in Sweden

And we were talking about Dr. Pourde, a scientist in California who wrote a book: "Biohazard: Treat as Hazardous Waste

Here are the texts by Jean-Yves Dionne (also sent to the editorialist)

https://www.jydionne.com/se-proteger-contre-le-cancer-de-la-peau/