According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) our beloved sun is roughly 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun is made entirely of gases. There is no solid surface on the sun.
Although the sun is necessary for life, too much sun exposure can lead to adverse health effects, including skin cancer. More than 1 million people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, making it the most common form of cancer in the United States. I had many serious sunburns growing up on the east coast of the U.S. While we applied sunscreen routinely, back then our sunscreens weren’t as effective as we have now. Many skin cancers don’t evolve until we into our adulthood. I continue to use sunscreen daily.
Now that the ozone layer is becoming thinner, the results of skin damage from the sun can be more severe. Yearly checkups are very important. We can do so much more to help prevent serious sunburns. But we need to know more about the ingredients in different sunscreens. Not all are effective.
Sunscreen should be used all year. The ultraviolet rays come through even on cloudy days and rainy days as well. Sun is reflective and bounces right off of the snowy parts of our world.
However, women and men who use certain sunscreens might be at risk of infertility. Scientists found 45% of the ingredients contained chemicals that can interact with the function of sperm. It is important to remember that research is still ongoing. In one study tests were made in vitro, using sperm cells in a solution that mimicked conditions inside the female fallopian tubes.
Physical sunscreens that contain reflecting chemicals like zinc shouldn’t interfere with sperm function. Further studies are being conducted.
Some of the filters found to disrupt sperm function are: avobenzone, homosalate, meradimate, octisalate (also known as octl salicylate), octionxate (or octyl methoxycinnamate, oxtocrylene, oxbenzone (also called benzophenone – 3 or PB-3) andpadimate O.
If you are interested in reading more on the studies regarding this issue please look up Niels Skakkebaek, MD, DMSc, who is a professor at the University of Copenhagen and a researcher at the Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet.
Other ingredients of interest are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These seem to be the most effective and doesn’t penetrate through the skin. Both of these are considered to be nanoparticles. Zinc oxide is stable in sunlight and can provide greater protection, from UVA rays than titanium oxide. A chart shown on the www.ewg.org site indicates that avobenzone has very limited skin penetration. Yet Dr. Skakkebaek found that this ingredient is a disruptor of sperm. Avobenzone has a relatively high rate of skin allergies.
Be cautious of chemical sunscreens in the United States that contain avobenzone. It is in many sunscreen products because it is the best available agent for filtering skin-damaging UVA rays. Avobenzone alone may break down when exposed to sunlight and must be stabilized with other chemicals such as octocrylene. Products I use are from Eucerin (daily protecion and redness relief). Both are broad spectrum SPF 30. I have others from my dermatologist. A quality sunscreen available on line is from IS Clinical SPF 50+. Always look for broad spectrum. This protects us from both the UVA and UVB rays.
Much is being reported on oxybenzone. This is an ingredient that is also used in plastics, hairspray and nail polish. It is being recommended that people should avoid products that have this ingredient in them. Oxybenzone is also known to cause allergic reactions in some people, although this is not common. It is also know that this ingredient endanges the coral reefs.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun has long been associated with the developement of skin cancer. We obtain most of our damage by the time we are 18. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has identified UV radiation as a human carcinogen. And nearly 9- percent of non-melanoma skin cancers and 65 percent of melanomas are associated with sun exposure. UV radiation also plays a role in accelerating skin aging, inducing immunosuppression, and aggravating photodermatoses. Numerous campaigns are encouraging a change in thinking about UV protection.
It has been a long journey to where sunscreens have arrived today.
The first commercial sunscreen was estimated to have been developed by chemist Franz Greiter in 1938. But use was not common until 1944 when Benjamin Green sold red veterinarian petrolatum (“Red Vet Pet”) to the US Army to protect soldiers in the Pacific during World War II. The product had limited effectiveness and was disagreeable to use due to the red color and sticky texture.
Many years later, sunscreens were designed to prevent sunburn and enhance tanning; many were called “tanning oils” or “tanning lotions.” Their UV filters blocked only UVB (280-320nm) radiation, often at very low SPF’s (ranging from 2 or 3 to perhaps 8). Beginning in 1979 The Skin Cancer Foundation, with its independent volunteer committee of photobiologists, was the first organization to clearly establish SPF 15 as the minumum standard for adequate SPF protection. The first UVA filter, a benzophenone, was introduced to manufacturers in the 1960s; however, the first broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen was not put on the market until 1980, yet truly broad-spectrum sunscreens did not emerge until the 1990s. Even after that, no regulatory guidelines existed in the US for testing and labeling the degree of UVA protection, so many products claiming have UVA or broad-spectrum protection actually offered inaequate protection to none.
Not until June 2011, the FDA provided specific guidelines for testing and labeling UVA protection, naming the in vitro (lab-based) critical wavelength (CW) method 4 as its test for UVA protection. Only sunscreens with a CW>370nm will be permitted to claim “broad spectrum” status. The critical wavelength test is a laboratory test method using a PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) plate that measures UV transmission with and without sunscreen. The absorption spectrum of the sunscreen is measured against wavelength. The wavelength were 90 percent absorption, the longer the critical wavelength.
The bottom line is that sunscreen is only one type of photoprotection. Avoiding excessive sun exposure, especially between 10 am and 4 pm. Seek shaded areas and wearing sun-protective clothing as well as sunglasses are essential in reducting overall UV exposure. Hats with a large brim are also important. This helps to protect your neck as well. Chose the best sunscreen you can find. If unsure please ask your dermatologist. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours depending upon how much time you are exposed to the sun.
