Sunblock Gives You Cancer, Too 8.07K Brian Moylan 06/14/10 11:27AM Filed to: Science Science Chuck Schumer Sunblock Studies Summer shutterstock New York Senator Chuck Schumer is calling attention to the fact that retinyl palmitate, an ingredient in most sunscreens, was shown to accellerate cancer in lab animals. If sitting under an umbrella kills you, too, then summer is totally ruined.