People have been warned that a number of everyday household medicines act “like a sponge for the sun's rays” and increase the rate at which people suffer from sunburn. However, health professionals are warning people to be mindful of their skin, especially as a number of common medications increase the risk of sunburn. AdvertisementOn The Claire Byrne Show, pharmacist Sheena Mitchell noted that it is “not just painkillers which can cause this problem”. “Certain medicines can act a bit like a sponge for the sun's rays,” she explained. “We know the advice is the same for if you were protecting from the UV rays for skin cancer and that's Ireland's most common cancer.