The “Gordian knot” of Sun Care!

White sunny beaches, crystal clear waters sparkling under a glorious summer sun,?and you have already made plans to get there.

All beauty sales venues are popping up with ads and offers about sunscreens,?

but how to choose the right one?

A guide to the most effective and enviromentaly friendly protection.

Misconception and misinformation are never missed from any skincare topic, but together we will make things clear?on how you will effectively protect yourself, your beloved ones and our oceans.

The three types of UV rays and their effect:?

UVA are the weakest rays but are present in much higher levels, in sunlight

than UVB.?They penetrate deeply into the skin, causing DNA damage.?

This is the primary cause of the premature ageing of the skin cells, brown sunspots, and freckles.

UVB rays are not penetrating the skin but are somewhat stronger than UVA. They are the reason for sunburns?and potentially can cause skin cancer (melanoma etc.).?

UVC are the most damaging rays, but thankfully, they do not reach us.?

(Dear Ozone, thank you for that! )

“Broad spectrum sunscreen protects you from UVA & UVB rays.”

Here comes the puzzle.

According to FDA:

?"SPF values are determined from a test that measures protection against sunburn caused by UVB radiation,

?SPF values ONLY indicate a sunscreen's UVB protection."

This is happening because there is no practical test to measure a sunscreen's UVA protection.?

They are using some methods to calculate an estimated effectiveness ratio,?

which then is expressed as the “UVA protection” percentage.?

This translates to the simple fact that SPF doesn’t tell you anything about how much UVA protection you’re getting.

But what about the accuracy of UVB protection?

To effectively protect yourself, it is important to understand that SPF measurements are determined in laboratories?under a controlled light source where a very precise amount of the product (2mm per cm2)?is applied

evenly to a skin area.

So the SPF protection, might not be so relevant how it will do out in the real world?where various other factors like sun intensity, water reflection and product application levels are not controlled.?

To put things in perspective, the recommended application level for the entire body is 33 to 44 ml (1.0 - 1.5 ounces) every 2 hours.?

For 5 hours in a beach, it is needed approximately 100ml of product per person in order to be protected.?

Then ask yourself when was the last time you used that amount of product?

I know, right?

The "Gordian Knot"?

is a metaphor for a complex problem eventually solved by the ability to "think outside the box."?

But to do so, we need first to understand the Sun care products.

I often read,

“You should have an SPF of at least 30, but an SPF of 50 is better.”

This is partially true.

SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays

that might not be enough in the hot summer, especially when it is your tinted cream or make-up that you rely on,?which obviously, you are not going to reapply every 2 hours.

However,

It may seem like an 50 SPF provides almost double the protection as 30 SPF,

but that’s not the case

SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays

SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays

For that, not so significant, 1% you have to pay at least 1/3 more.

SPF 30 is a good choice. It is high enough as long you re-apply.?

Remember after 2 hours, your sunscreen breaks down, and there is not any SPF in the world that can protect you when it wears off.

Chemical or Physical (Mineral) sunscreen?

How do they work?

Chemical sunscreen allows UV light into the skin and then creates a chemical reaction?that convert the UV rays into heat, and then the heat dissipates from the body.?

The active ingredients in chemical sunscreens include avobenzone, octinoxate, oxybenzone and more including new generation UV filters.

Physical sunscreen is literally creating a physical separation between the skin and the sun.?

The tiny mineral particles sit on the skin's surface and deflect the sun’s rays preventing them from penetrating the skin.?

The active ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium oxide.

What about safety?

Chemical filters (oxybenzone, octinoxate etc) are very bad for the environment and an enormous threat to our coral reefs.?

In some places like Florida and, Hawaii their use on beaches is not allowed.?

There have also been some health concerns about the chemical filters, that may disrupt hormones, cause allergic?reactions and they can be absorbed into the bloodstream with possible toxic effects.?

Avobenzone, is not so bad for the environment, but it is photo-unstable. When exposed to sunlight, it kind of breaks down?and?not only loses its?effectiveness?over time but eventually oxidises and creates DNA damage.?

New generation UV filters are allowed only in EU and not in USA due to regulations. (So opposite than what we would have expected from EU)

Mineral-based sunscreens have been the safest choice.

There are also some concerns about Titanium Dioxide?causing DNA damage. The EFSA of the European Union published recently a scientific opinion?

that the ingredient can no longer considered safe as a food additive.

There is, of course a long way from skin application to food?additive, but Titanium Dioxide is also an ingredient that is found in so many products that we use daily, makeup, deodorant etc?

I would not go hysterical about it, but excluding it and save some accumulation when we can and while we have a better alternative is not such a bad idea.

So the safest and most effective UV filter of them all was and still is the Good, Old (non-micronised) Zinc oxide.

The extra benefits of Zinc oxide are the anti-acne, anti-bacterial and soothing properties.

And if you are weary of the chalky white residue that leaves on the skin, remember if you can see it, it protects you.?

When you can’t see it anymore, apply some more.

Cutting the Gordian knot.

Choose a Zinc oxide based sunscreen of 30 SPF and re-apply.

Do not rely solely on sunscreen for your protection.

A good quality summer hat with a wide brim (at least 7,5 cm) will give you a a small but constant SPF filter without side effects, and it will elevate your summer look.

Use a potent After Sun product. Not something just for a refreshing feel but also to counteract Sun Damage.?

It will follow another article dedicated to After Sun products.

I hope you enjoyed this article and you got a clearer idea about sunscreens and how they work.

If you did please keep following me and leave your comments or questions.

You can ask me anything!