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VERIFY: Some sunscreens can repair your DNA to reverse previous sun damage

It seems too good to be true, but we can VERIFY that there is an enzyme in some sunscreens that repair sun damage and reduce a type of pre-cancer.

ATLANTA — Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. According to skincancer.org, more than 9,500 people a day are diagnosed with skin cancer and 1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with it by the time they are 70. 

As summer gets closer, many people start stocking up on sunscreen to help protect themselves from the sun's dangerous rays. 

Some companies are marketing their sunscreen as a way to "repair your DNA." 

Our Verify team went to the experts to see if sunscreen is doing more than just preventing future skin damage. 

THE QUESTION

Can some sunscreen repair your DNA? 

THE ANSWER 

Yes, there is an enzyme in some sunscreen brands that can repair sun damage and reduce a certain type of pre-cancer, called Actinic Keratosis. 

WHAT WE KNOW 

It sounds too good to be true, that a drugstore sunscreen can help repair your DNA.

But, our VERIFY team found out that it's true. According to a board-certified dermatologist and the Journal of Drugs and Dermatology, it's all about the enzyme called photolyase. 

The enzyme is found in plants and animals that are exposed to extreme sun. It's not something naturally found in humans. 

A JDD study showed the enzyme can repair sun damage and reduce a certain type of pre-cancer called Actinic Keratosis. 

"I think the data shows that it reduces the amount of those bad DNA side effects by about 40 to 45 percent," Dr. Ope Ofidile said. 

So, if this is such a groundbreaking science, why isn't it a household name? Why isn't the enzyme in every sunscreen you buy at the store? 

"I think when it came out 10 years ago, we thought by now it would be in everything. But I think cost is a prohibitive factor there, it’s not cheap," Dr. Ofidile explained. 

Very few brands offer a sunscreen with the enzyme in it, and the ones that do cost about $40-$50 for a three to four ounce bottle. 

So, we can VERIFY, sunscreen with the enzyme, DNA Repairsomes, really can repair your DNA and reverse some previous sun damage. 

But, you have to pay a lot more for it. 

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