Last Updated on 29th January 2019 by Caroline Haye
Virtually every website and medical leaflet on the subject recommends to vitiligo sufferers that they use sunscreen to prevent their un-pigmented skin from burning. What most of them don’t say is that we may make matters worse by following this advice indiscriminately.
Most sunscreens are full of synthetic chemical ingredients and potential irritants. This means that, whilst they may well provide effective UV protection, they are also going to cause further oxidative stress to the skin – something which researchers now know vitiligo patients already suffer from more acutely than the general population.
So the irony is that in the very process of trying to protect our white patches from sun damage, we could be causing them to spread. The logical solution to this is either to avoid overdoing the sun exposure and manage without sunscreen altogether or else to opt for natural sunscreens instead. If you choose a 100% natural product, you could benefit twice over: 1) you will avoid the chemical nasties present in the high street brands and 2) you will almost certainly find that the natural ingredients include at least one powerful antioxidant like aloe vera or coconut oil – and this will help reduce oxidative stress as well as protecting you from burning.
