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Health & Fitness

Summer Skin Protection Time

With record temperatures in March off all months, let's talk about what you should know about sunscreen.

As the unseasonably warm days continue, more and more sights and sounds of summer are everywhere.

Sandals, shorts, short-sleeves, no sleeves (unfortunately), motorcycles, outdoor seating and Bell's ubiquitous seasonal beer Oberon is released this week. It seems it is time for us to emerge from our winter caves and slather on the sunscreen and enjoy what is shaping up to be an exceptional season for weather (minus any more natural disasters please).

This is always a good time of the year to revisit sunscreens and all of the terminology on the back of the bottle. You then can make an informed choice and not have to stand in the sunscreen aisle with the multitude of options for 30 minutes with a glazed over look. Lets start with the basics of ultraviolet (UV) light.

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The two main types of UV light that we are concerned with (at least while we still have an ozone layer) are classified UVA and UVB.  

UV radiation is most intense between the hours of 10am and 4pm and during late summer and early fall. UV radiation can penetrate cloud cover, pollution and up to 3 feet of water and become magnified by reflection off of sand, water and snow. So as long as you are outside in the sun you are going to be exposed to UV radiation. UVB is primarily responsible for  the sunburn but both UVA and UVB cause premature aging of the skin and skin cancers.  

So let's take a look at the labeling and some of the changes mandated by the FDA.  We will still see the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) which relates to the time a person can be protected from UVB radiation. An example is a person that normally burns after exposure for 20 minutes could expect to stay protected with SPF 10 for 200 minutes.  Now this is a theoretical number due to many variables such as application amount, UV intensity due to time and latitude to name a few.

Though products need to be reapplied every 2 hours in order to maintain effectiveness, that doesn't extend the burn free time. From the above example reapplication won't double the protection time to 400 minutes.The minimum SPF recommended is 15. If you have a skin type that is very susceptible to burning I would recommend at least SPF 30. There currently is no graduated rating for UVA protection.  A 1 through 4 star rating has been suggested but not implemented to the best of my knowledge. You want to look for the term "Broad Spectrum" coverage for the time being.

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The labeling changes mandated by the FDA are to help clarify misconceptions of sunscreens. If the product SPF rating is 15 and above with broad spectrum coverage this statement can be included: "Used as directed can reduce the risk of early aging and skin cancer when used with other sun protection measures."  If the SPF is 14 or less the following statement is applicable: "This product has been only shown to help prevent sunburn not skin cancer or early skin aging."  You will no longer see the ambiguous terms "sweat-proof" or "water proof" anymore.  If the product is considered "water resistant" a time will be noted either 20 or 40 minutes to indicate that the product can maintain its SPF for that amount of time when wet.  Also the highest SPF rating will be labeled SPF 50+.  There is no evidence that anything higher than SPF 50 is anymore effective.  So the expensive SPF 100 products aren't worth the money.  

Tips on Choosing a Sunscreen and Proper Use

  • Always select a product with at least an SPF 15 regardless of skin color.  Naturally dark skin can protect for a time for sunburn but no skin tone will protect for skin cancer.  
  • Make sure to get a Broad Spectrum product.  A couple of the sunscreens that are effective against UVA are avobenzone and ecamsule.  Ecamsule is marketed as Mexoryl and is in Anthelios products by L'OReal.  Avobenzone is not stable so it is often combined with octocrylene and may indicate on the label as "stabilized"  or "photostabilized" UVA protection.  
  • For sports participation or water activities get water resistant but note the reapplication times.
  • Cover up the little ones.  Most sun damage will occur in our childhood so children over six months should have sunscreen applications.  Younger than six months try to keep out of direct sunlight for extended periods of time and cover up.
  • Apply sunscreens at least 20 to 30 minutes before sun exposure
  • Make sure to use enough sunscreen.  Don't skimp on the application as this will lessen the intended protection.  Use about 1oz (a shot glass full) for an adult for complete coverage.  When done swimming or after 2 hours reapply another 1oz amount.  It's ok to use more than you need.
  • Lip protection is often overlooked.  There are many lip balms that contain sunscreens which will protect the lips from drying burning and development of cold sores which can be triggered by intense sunlight in susceptible individuals.
  • Get rid of the very old sunscreens.  Most products do not have an expiration date so I would give it a shelf life around 3 years.  After that head to the pharmacy and replace.  



A Few Other Tips

  • Ask the pharmacist if you are on any medications that may cause photosensitivity.  I will be covering this subject in a future blog.  
  • Don't worry about the whole Vitamin D deficiency when using sunscreens.  You can get the amount you need (go for at least 800IU per day) through supplementation and diet.  The evidence is too strong for prevention of skin cancers to throw away sunscreens.  If questions talk to your physician or pharmacist about this concern.
  • Don't forget the hat, sunglasses, tightly woven shirts and long pants as additional protection.  


I will cover the treatment of sunburn in an upcoming blog.  In the meantime let us enjoy the sun safely not wearing sleeves and have a couple of Oberons.
Cheers  

Steven Jensen PharmD.

Jensen's Community Pharmacy is located in The Oaks plaza off of Michigan Ave. Please feel free to call if you have any questions: 734-429-9053.

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