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Sun & Sensibility: A Modern Guide to Sunscreen

By Day Host-Jablonski, CP Staff

Sunshine is wonderful! Every year, we see how sunshine coaxes free the strong grip of Wisconsin winter, urging leaves and flowers to open into the softness of spring, heating our lakes and streets into steamy summers. Sunshine also contributes to our health by converting cholesterol within the skin into Vitamin D, synchronizing our internal clocks, and lifting our moods. Even without looking at the science behind its benefits, we know that spending time outdoors bathing in the warmth and light from the sun just feels good.
Sunshine is a powerful energy source for our plants and bodies but, as with all energy sources, overindulging has its consequences. Most of us spend the majority of our time indoors nowadays; our skin is easily sunburned without regular exposure to the sun’s radiation. On average, a person’s skin will burn after about 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, although it may take several hours for the skin to look and feel the full extent of the sunburn. In order to avoid this burn, we must protect our skin. But how?

Label-Reading Basics
The two biggest variables in a sunscreen -- where choices of quality and efficacy can be made by consumers -- are the sunscreen’s base and its active ingredients. The base can be examined using the same criteria as one might when choosing a body lotion. Sunscreens with chemical-free, oil-free, or fragrance-free bases are all readily available. Every sunscreen will list base ingredients separately from active ingredients, making it easy to choose exactly what will be protecting your skin. Active ingredients include mineral sunblocks and chemical sunscreens; each responds to radiation differently. If you are looking for a totally chemical-free sunscreen, those with minerals are for you. The minerals may make the product a bit thick, so if you are looking for a very light-feeling sunscreen, try one with chemical active ingredients.

The SPF Rating is Only for Sunburn
When sunscreens were first developed, the main focus was on preventing sunburn. Thus, a sunscreen’s SPF rating only indicates how long the product can protect the skin from UVB (the “sunburn rays”). Multiply your sunscreen’s SPF by the time it takes for you to receive a sunburning dose of UV, and you’ll get an idea of how long that product can protect you from sunburn. For instance, if used correctly, an SPF 15 sunscreen will give the average person 15 x 15 minutes, or 3.75 hours, of safe time to play in the sun. Doing the SPF math is an excellent way to start protecting yourself from sunburn- causing UVB, but what about other forms of UV radiation?

Full-Spectrum Sunscreens for Full Protection
UVA radiation makes up a greater percentage of the UV reaching the planet and is a slower wavelength than UVB. This means it is less damaging than UVB -- more responsible for tanning than burning -- but overexposure can still result in the DNA damage that leads to cancerous cell growth, so finding a sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB is important. Be sure to check sunscreen labels carefully for active ingredients that offer full-spectrum UV protection.
The safest and most stable full-spectrum sunscreen ingredients are the minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. When applied, these microscopic particles coat the skin, reflecting the entire UV spectrum away before it can be absorbed. While mineral sunscreens of old may have temporarily whitened the skin, modern ones set quickly and are rarely visible.

High SPF Ratings Offer Little Extra Protection
Sunscreens with extremely high SPF ratings have recently appeared on the market, creating some confusion about the efficacy of the old standard SPFs. While it’s possible that these sunscreens could provide protection for a greater length of time, you would be hard-pressed to find the 23.5 hours of sunshine for the protection implied in a SPF 95+ sunscreen. Industry evaluations show that, while SPF 15 blocks about 93% of UVB, SPF 30 blocks about 97%, and SPF 50 about 98%. Higher SPF ratings do mean greater protection, but the new trend of extremely high SPFs is more about marketing an expensive product than it is about offering a higher quality product. Most dermatologists advise people to wear SPF 25-30 for daily protection.

Use PLENTY of Sunscreen
Sunscreen can only protect the skin it’s covering. So, for your entire body to be protected, your entire body must be covered with sunscreen. Apply at least two tablespoons (one ounce) for a full-body application. One teaspoon of that two tablespoons should be applied to the face and neck.

Apply Sunscreen Early
Whatever the active ingredients, sunscreens must have time to set before they are effective. For full protection, most should be applied about 30 minutes before sun exposure.

Reapply Sunscreen Often
No lotion lasts forever! Most (including sunscreens) wear off, are washed off, or evaporate in about two hours after application. To maintain the coating of sunscreen necessary to protect the skin, reapply (using another full ounce) every one and one-half to two hours. Yes, this means you will use an entire tube of SPF 15 sunscreen when you go to the beach for the afternoon! Using enough sunscreen in each reapplication is the only way to maintain consistent, effective sun protection.

Choose Your Battles
Learning that we must use a goodly amount of high quality sunscreen in order to protect ourselves from the sun may seem discouraging, but it’s simply the first step towards becoming informed consumers of a widely misunderstood tool. Gaining insight into the way sunscreens work and how to use them effectively means you get to decide how these products will best serve you. Whether you choose to apply sunscreen to your face and hands for your bike ride to work, or use a chemical-free , mineral-based sunscreen on yourself and your family at the beach, or spend 15 minutes outdoors in short sleeves on a sunny day in order to build up your skin’s own resistance to UV, you’re making an educated choice about your own health care!

For More Information
Lighting Research Center: www.lrc.rpi.edu
Skin Cancer Foundation: www.skincancer.org
EPA UV Index: www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html

Day Host-Jablonski is an ingredients nerd who loves turning her kitchen into a laboratory. She has worked at Community Pharmacy since 2002 and teaches workshops on essential oils, chemical sensitivities, women’s health and herbal body care.