Get Sunscreen Savvy

It used to be that sunscreens were very limited on the market, however, there are now literally hundreds of sunscreens on the market, and understanding what a sunscreen or sunblock is made of and why it is effective is very important. It's become difficult to keep track of all the brands, so consumers need to know how to read the label. Not all sunscreens are created equal.

It's important to understand that light comes in a spectrum of different wavelengths. The light we are typically concerned with that causes skin problems falls into the UVB and UVA spectrums. These are invisible to the human eye. However, some people with serious skin conditions like Lupus may also experience sensitivities to other portions of the light spectrum.

These are the various wavelengths of light broken down by category:

* UVA: 260 or 320 – 400 nm
* UVB: 290-320 nm
* UVC: 200-290 nm
* Visible light: 400-760 nm
* Infrared light: 760+ nm
* Sunscreens vs. Sunblocks

Although many people often mix the terminology of sunscreen and sunblock, there really is a technical difference between the two. A true sunscreen is a chemical agent that denatures the light , making the wavelengths incapable of causing damage. Sunblocks literally act as a physical wall to prevent sunlight from reaching the skin's surface. Many "sunscreens" will contain a mixture of these two properties. For individuals with known contact dermatitis allergies, eczema or sensitive skin issues, the true physical blockers will be the agents best tolerated by the skin. Remember to check the ingredient list as far as the vehicle, which is the base that contains the active ingredient, to make certain it doesn't contain any other agents to which you are known to have sensitivities.

Here is what your sunscreen/sunblock MUST do in order to provide you adequate coverage:

• It should have a minimum SPF of 15 for routine exposure, with a higher SPF, (preferably around 30) for more intensive sun exposure, such as the beach.
• It should have broad spectrum protection, meaning both UVA and UVB protective capabilities.
• It should be PABA-free for those with sensitive skin or known PABA allergies.

Don't be fooled by products stating that they are waterproof. You must re-apply after water exposure or every two hours while outdoors. Some contain bases with more "stay power" than others in that they are less likely to sweat during sports such as swimming, surfing or water-skiing.

UVB Screens

UVB is the "burning" spectrum of light, and the cause of sunburn and skin cancers. UVB sunscreens usually contain either PABA, octyl methoxycinnamate, or octyl salicylate. UVA Screens,  UVA is known to cause deeper tissue damage and skin cancer. UVA sunscreens usually contain either oxybenzone, benzophenone, methyl anthranitrate, or parsol 1789.

Physical Blockers Physical blockers used to leave a heavy white residue, but with a new micronisation process, these are now innocuous.

Pure physical blockers presently included in sunscreens include titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and iron oxide.

Considerations

Naturally, the aesthetic feel of the base is important to many sunscreen users. This is subjective, and makes no difference in the effectiveness of the product. More important is whether or not a product is oil-free or "non-comedogenic", as many people prone to acne or oily skin conditions may definitely notice a flare if a heavy skin care product is applied to the skin. It used to be that physical blockers couldn't be incorporated into oil-free products, but technology has since improved so that we are now seeing several products appearing on the market which do satisfy this need.

Many people ask if the addition of a sunscreen to a moisturizer or make-up is adequate protection. Usually the answer would be "no", as often these products are not as thoroughly applied to the skin, as a sunscreen would be. Many times either make-up or moisturisers may be spot-applied, so you should consider the presence of SPF in these products to be "icing on the cake". On the flip side, there are several sunscreens which are purported to have very moisturizing bases, an ideal combination for those with drier skin types.

There are still people for whom the best routine sunscreen is still insufficient to protect them against sun induced skin problems. These may include those with lupus, rosacea, transplant patients, post-radiation patients, skin cancer patients, chemotherapy patients, or those status post laser skin resurfacing.

Of course, there are other options to help protect you and your family from unwanted sun exposure. Sun protective clothing definitely has an important role in sun avoidance. Many people are unaware that regular T-shirt material contains an SPF of only 4. This is obviously inadequate, particularly as the SPF becomes undetectable when the cloth becomes wet. Remember your mother telling you to put on a T-shirt when you were completely sunburned and then go back in the pool?

Now there are numerous lines of sun protective clothing that offer a trendy, updated look for outdoors activities. Lupus patients in particular need to be very protective against the sun, and for them, there are sun protective gloves and specialty products they may use as well.

Nothing replaces a wide brimmed hat with a 4-inch width. Baseball caps, assuming they're worn with the bill in front, don't protect the ears, back of the neck, or even most of the face. If choosing a straw hat, remember that many of them are unlined and loosely woven, which allows the sun to go directly through the hat.

The lips are another area most people don't tend to think about protecting, especially women. Many women think their lipstick will protect them, but this simply isn't true. Not only can the sun penetrate many lighter shades, but lipstick typically wears off throughout the day, leaving the lips naked and unprotected. Consider carrying an effective lip balm around this summer or applying one under your lipstick to provide a colourless layer of sun protection.

The Best Sunscreen of All!

If you want to obtain the best protection possible from a sunscreen lotion or cream, consider this advice. Recent studies indicate that you should aim to block out UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC was once regarded as unimportant as the ozone layer of the atmosphere normally screens this wavelength of UV out for you before it can reach your skin. It is now widely-known that the ozone layer is becoming increasingly depleted from the earth's atmosphere because of greenhouse gas emissions.

Most first-generation sunscreens block out either UVA or UVB but not UVC. Obviously these ingredients leave you open to the damage caused by the two spectrums of light that they are inoperative for.

Titanium dioxide is not a sunscreen but a physical sunblocker. It blocks out UVA and UBV, but not UVC. This ingredient is now one of the most common ingredients in sunscreens. The disadvantage of this ingredient (until recently) was that it was opaque (not clear) and was therefore shunned by many people because of its cosmetic unsuitability. Recently, a new process named micronisation, allowed the titanium dioxide particles to be broken down so that they became invisible when applied to the skin. Micronized titanium dioxide was therefore an "almost-perfect" solution for blocking out most of the sun's rays.

Recently it has been found that the use of titanium dioxide-containing sunscreens may be causing as many problems as they're helping solve. A recent study showed that micronized titanium dioxide may catalyse DNA damage in skin cells. Titanium dioxide absorbs 70% of UV and in watery environments this leads to the generation of hydroxyl free radicals which initiate oxidation and lead to the skin damage that initiates cancer. Obviously this is not what the consumer wants.

So what's the answer? What's the very best sun protection this summer? Although it has not yet been very well publicised, micronised zinc oxide (also known as microfine zinc oxide) appears to be the ultimate sunscreen ingredient. Here's why:

• Micronised (microfine) zinc oxide is less white (in appearance on the skin) compared with non-micronised zinc oxide (the type of zinc oxide once seen widely on the noses of surfers and lifesavers) or micronised titanium dioxide.
• Micronised zinc oxide (unlike micronised titanium dioxide) does not cause DNA damage to the skin.
• Micronised zinc oxide protects against all of the UVA spectrum of UV (micronised titanium dioxide only protects against part of the UVA spectrum).
• Micronised zinc oxide protects against UVB. This protection is as good as that provided by other sunscreens.
• Micronised zinc oxide (unlike titanium dioxide and most sunscreens) protects against UVC.
• Micronised zinc oxide (unlike most sunscreens) does NOT cause allergic skin reactions.

RELATED PRODUCTS

 

NATRALIA NOURISH SUNSCREEN TUBE CHEMICAL FREE 100 ML

4 hours water resistant & UVA/UVB broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen. Contains a blend of Green Tea, Grape seed and Ginseng extracts, and Aloe Vera.

 

NATRALIA NOURISH SUNSCREEN ROLL ON CHEMICAL FREE 50ML

4 hours water resistant & UVA/UVB broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen. Contains a blend of Green Tea, Grape seed and Ginseng extracts, and Aloe Vera.