Microprocessing

Dangerous DIY Sunscreen Recipes Are Spreading on Pinterest

Misplaced concerns about chemicals in over-the-counter sunscreens are fueling a new problem on social media

Angela Lashbrook
OneZero
Published in
7 min readMay 29, 2019

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Illustration: Joseph Melhuish

In Microprocessing, columnist Angela Lashbrook aims to improve your relationship with technology every week. Microprocessing goes deep on the little things that define your online life today, to give you a better tomorrow.

Everyone’s trying to make a buck on alternative and all-natural remedies these days.

Sephora launched a “Clean at Sephora” category in 2018, aiming to help the increasing number of customers who are afraid of chemicals like parabens and phthalates to find products without them. Consumers are buying vitamins and supplements in record numbers, despite evidence that they’re ineffective for most people. And, of course, vaccine hesitancy is becoming a massive public health concern, with the World Health Organization naming it one of its top 10 biggest risks to global health.

New research, published May 20 in the journal Health Communication, shows how this trend is extending to people’s sunscreen habits — and maybe even putting people at increased risk for skin cancer. The study looked at how people share information about…

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Angela Lashbrook
OneZero

I’m a columnist for OneZero, where I write about the intersection of health & tech. Also seen at Elemental, The Atlantic, VICE, and Vox. Brooklyn, NY.