Sunscreen products can protect you from skin cancer and aid in the prevention of premature skin ageing.
Protection from the sun’s rays is the key to preventing photo-ageing – pigmentation, sunspots, rosacea, wrinkles, and of course, skin cancer. Without SPF the battle for healthy skin is lost. Let’s take a look at some of the facts around sunscreen.
UV Rays
There are two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun that can affect the skin: UVA and UVB. A sunscreen can only be called “broad spectrum” if it protects against both UVA and UVB.
Physical Sunscreens
Physical block sunscreens work by reflecting UV light off the skin. Effective against UVA and UVB radiation, they remain on the surface of your skin and are not readily absorbed into the skin.
The two most common physical blockers are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Physical blockers are also called inorganic or mineral sunscreens.
Chemical Sunscreens
Chemical absorbing sunscreens, also called organic sunscreens, work by absorbing UV light. They allow the UV light to hit the skin but transform it into a non-harmful wavelength of light.
Unlike physical blockers, chemical sunscreens do absorb into the skin. They often contain multiple chemical ingredients. The chemicals can be differentiated by the type of rays they absorb UVA, UVB, or both UVA and UVB.
Primary v Secondary Sunscreen products
Primary sunscreen, also known as therapeutic sunscreen, is any product which has a primary function of protecting from the sun. Products can still be considered a primary sunscreen even if they contain other skin-friendly ingredients like aloe-vera or vitamins.
Therapeutic sunscreens include primary sunscreens higher than SPF 4 and moisturisers with SPF higher than 15. In other words, these are the serious sunscreens that you’d rely on to protect you from the sun, and they’re regulated by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Secondary sunscreen products, known in Australia as cosmetic sunscreens, are cosmetic products that also contain sunscreen as a benefit. For example, a foundation or lip product that includes an SPF.
What exactly does the SPF mean?
Sunburn Protect Factor (SPF) refers to the level of sunburn protection provided by the sunscreen product. Sunscreens sold in Australia must be labelled with an SPF of at least 4 to the highest rating of 50+.
All sunscreens are tested to measure the amount of UV radiation exposure it takes to cause sunburn when using a sunscreen vs. when not using a sunscreen. The higher the SPF, the greater the protection is from UV radiation, and the greater the sunburn protection.
Outside of Australia it’s often common to see SPF rating well above SPF100. Why then does Australia not have this available? Australian sunscreens are some of the most consistently well-regulated in the world. Globally, there’s a lot of different definitions for sunscreen and the regulations surrounding it, so an SPF 100 is not necessarily better. It’s important to choose a sunscreen product in line with Australian regulations.
Because SPF values are determined from a test that measures protection against sunburn caused by UVB radiation, SPF values only indicate a sunscreen’s protection from UVB—the kind of radiation that causes sunburn, damages the skin, and can contribute to developing melanoma.
Currently, there is no internationally agreed-upon test for measuring UVA protection in human skin.
Here’s how your sun protection looks with each level of SPF:
SPF 15 – filters about 93% of UVB rays
SPF 30 – filters about 96.7% of UVB rays
SPF 50 – filters about 98% of UVB rays
Is a tan healthy?
Though many people still think a tan looks healthy, it’s actually a sign of DNA damage. The skin darkens in an imperfect attempt to prevent further injury, which can lead to cell mutations that can lead to melanoma.
TIP: Feel the need for that summer glow? Fake a tan.
Skin Cancer
UV radiation causes skin damage that can add up over time, leading to skin cancer. Each time your skin is damaged by UV, changes take place in the structure and function of the skin cells. If UV damage keeps adding up, skin cells become less able to repair, increasing the risk of skin cancer.
Approximately two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70, with more than 750,000 people treated for one or more non-melanoma skin cancers each year.
Skin cancer can present in many different ways, it’s important to get to know your skin – knowing what is normal for you, so you notice anything new or changing, particularly to the colour, size or shape of a mole or skin lesion.
An annual full-body skin check is advised, and any suspicious lesions or moles should be checked without delay.
How to apply sunscreen correctly
• Sunscreen is applied to the face after morning serums and moisturiser but before foundation or other make-up
The Sunscreen provided in your moisturiser or foundation is NOT enough to protect you from the sun’s harmful rays. A stand alone sunscreen is highly recommended.
Tip: Australian Skin Face Body likes the Mesoestetic 50+ sunscreen range for the face. The range provides protection against the harmful effects of UVA and UVB and also contain effective antioxidant and antiageing action. The range has a variety of sunscreens with varying textures for different skin types. eg. matt sunscreen for “less of a shine” that sunscreens often give. Available at all Australian Skin Face Body Clinics.
• Apply enough sunscreen to cover all exposed skin
• Most people do not apply enough sunscreen. Adults need about the amount in a shot glass — for full-body protection.
• Don’t forget to apply it to your ears, hands, feet, behind your knees, the back of your neck and any part of your scalp that isn’t covered by hair – these areas are often neglected!
Apply sunscreen before you go in the sun. Chemical sunscreens need approximately 15 minutes to absorb into your skin and begin working.
Tip: Australian Skin Face Body likes ZINKE SPF50 for overall body sun protection. Available at all Australian Skin Face Body Clinics.
Ensure you check the expiration date on your sunscreen to make sure it is not out of date. If your sunscreen changes consistency, becomes watery, separates, or changes color, even if it has not expired, it should be discarded. Sunscreen should not be left in direct sunlight or a hot environment like a car, as the heat can break down the chemicals in the sunscreen.
Remember: no sunscreen is waterproof or sweat proof.
Sunscreens may say water-resistant, and usually specify how long they protect the skin for whilst swimming or exercising. Always re-apply sunscreen immediately after swimming, sweating, or drying yourself with a towel.
Sun protection
Tip: Sunscreen should be used in conjunction with other sun protective measures such as:
• Wearing a broad brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sun protective clothing
• Seeking shade
• Staying out of the sun in between the hours of 10am and 3pm
• Realising you can get a sunburn on a cloudy day when the UV Index is still high
Data released by the Cancer Council shows that fewer than one in ten Australians understand that sun protection is required when UV levels are three or above.
It’s important to reinforce the message that it’s ultraviolet radiation that’s the major cause of skin cancer – and that UV can’t be seen or felt. It’s important not to rely on other factors, like the temperature, humidity, wind, or cloud cover, to determine when you need to slip, slop, slap, seek shade and slide on sunglasses.
In Australia, UV levels can be high enough to damage unprotected skin all year round. You can check the UV for your location on the handy SunSmart app.
