With summer approaching (summer solstice is June 21st) we need to be particularly mindful of the damage the sun can do while it creates the most pleasurable of days. So I plan on being a nag for a while.
Here are some fun facts:
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor - the higher a sunscreen's
SPF value, the more it protects against the UV rays that cause the dreaded leathering of the skin, wrinkles, discoloration and other undesirable effects. An SPF 15 may absorb more than 93% of UVB radiation, and SPF 30 may protect you from 97%. There is no requirement at this time for products to rate their protection from UBA radiation.
Sunscreens are as good as it gets. There's no such thing as a total sun block - Some UV rays will sneak through whatever is applied. So use good sense when going out in the sun.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that sunscreens contain oxybenzone, cinnamates, sulisobenzone, salicylates titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and avobenzone (Parsol 1789). Except for the titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, these are chemical sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing the UV rays or radiation that hit them. Physical sunscreens reflect and scatter UV radiation. The following chart by researcher, Virginia Culler of Bryn Mawr College, provides information on how each type of sunscreen performs:
| Ingredient | UVB Protection | UVA Protection | |
| Chemical Absorbers | Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) | No | Yes |
| Cinnamates | Yes | No | |
| Octocrylene | Yes | No | |
| Oxybenzone (Benzophenones) | No | Yes | |
| PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) | Yes | No | |
| Padimate-O (Octyl dimethyl paba) | Yes | No | |
| Salicylates | Yes | No | |
| Physical Blockers | Titanium Dioxide | Yes | Yes |
| Zinc oxide (including transparent) | Yes | Yes |
From this chart you can see that physical sunscreens are more effective as overall sun protection. Also, there is evidence the very chemical sunscreens recommended by the AAD, are not only less effective than their physical counterparts, but may be harmful as carcinogens (the chemicals are absorbed into the body) and other health problems.
So here's what I think - get a good sunscreen that is high in titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide and has some of the chemical absorbers also. I haven't been out just to bask in the sun in over a decade. When my 5-year old granddaughter came for a visit, she wanted to go to the beach (with a 5-year old you know that we spent the day). Off we went after a liberal application of an SPF30 with 20.5% zinc oxide and hats. I reapplied the sunscreen every 2 hours. We were at the beach (you get 25% more sun magnification from the sand) from 10 a.m. until 3. Neither one of us were burned excepting for a spot on my back that I missed and there I was really burned (ouch).The good news there was no damage to our skin, the bad news this stuff tends to white you out and is difficult to spread and work into the skin. The good news is that my skin and the baby skin of my granddaughter was saved!!
