Sunscreen...always a HOT topic!

SPF is your BFF!

As you can imagine, living in Florida has definitely taught me some lessons on sunscreen! When I was little, I used to think sunscreen was for old people and would beg my mom to not douse me in it. Now that I realized I am in fact the "old people" I spoke of, it makes way more sense why sunscreen is so important. 

As I am sure you can tell by now that the theme is sunscreen, do you really know what's in your sunscreen and why? Or what about the technique of applying sunscreen? I certainly didn't know I was applying my sunscreen all wrong! Let me help you avoid my mistakes and hopefully present to you some safe sun fun right in time for spring break! 

Sunscreen has WHAT in it???

To begin with, each sunscreen is broken into four different categories, those being: active ingredients, formulation stabilizers, sensory enhancers, and added extras. Active ingredients make up 10-30% of sunscreen and include compounds that filter the sun, such as Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, and zinc oxide. These compounds protect our skin by absorbing or reflecting UV light (Boerner, 2021). The next category is formulation stabilizers which make up 50-60% of sunscreens. This category is made up of thickening agents, emulsifiers, chelating agents, pH-balancing agents, antioxidants, and preservatives (Boerner, 2021). These ingredients keep the sunscreen homogeneous, spreadable, and functional (Boerner, 2021). Next, we move to the sensory enhancers which make up 13-33% of the sunscreen and include moisturizing ingredients, fragrances, and emollients (Boerner, 2021). These agents can affect the way that the sunscreen feels on the skin and smells. This intern will make the product more likely t be bought and worn! I mean who doesn't love a sunscreen that protects and smells like a tropical island? Lastly, we have the added extras which account for 2% of the sunscreen and these are ingredients that do not affect the way sunscreen works (Boerner, 2021). These can include aloe or blue light inhibitors.

What did you say?....UVA and UVB?  

Why is this important? Well, this is because sunscreen blocks your skin from being damaged by the two kinds of UV rays: UVA and UVB. UVA rays have longer wavelengths (315–400 nm) and UVB rays are shorter (280–315 nm). UVA rays shine through to the dermis, which includes the middle skin layers. These can cause tanning, wrinkles, and DNA damage that can lead to skin cancer. UVB rays can cause sunburn and damage the DNA in the epidermis, which is the outer layer of the skin (Boerner, 2021). So the next question is, what is SPF? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and accounts for the level of sunburn protection. The higher the SPF number, the better the sun protection is. Remember those UVB rays we talked of? Well, these rays are also used to determine the SPF of any sunscreen! Why? Because the SPF is rated by testing how severe of a sunburn occurs after applying the sunscreen for each different number. An SPF of 15 or higher is recommended for all! If you have a fair complexion, it is recommended that you use a 30 to 50 SPF sunscreen. 

Soooo you're telling me there's a WRONG way to apply sunscreen? 

Yes, there is a wrong way to apply sunscreen! First of all, any surface of the body that is exposed to the sun is at risk for sunburn. This even includes the top of your head if you are bald like my dad! The only way to protect said skin is to cover up in protective Sunwear or lather up in some sunscreen! According to the NCBI, the best way to protect yourself from the sun is to apply sunscreen in two separate applications (2018). This method will ensure that you get any and every safe of exposed skin you may have missed the first time. The US Food and Drug Administration states that using at least a shot glass–sized amount of sunscreen on your body every 2 hours should be an adequate way to protect from sunburn (Boerner, 2021). My recommendation is to always apply two coats of sunscreen and make sure you read the application section of the bottle! 

In conclusion, make sure you wear your sunscreen when you are expecting to be out in the beautiful rays all day! You can thank me later for the fresh tans, no sunburns, and wrinkle-free skin! 

Until next time sugar!

- Sugar Pill Rx

References

Boerner, L. K. (2021, July 21). What’s in sunscreen, and how does it protect your skin from the sun’s rays? Cen.acs.org. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://cen.acs.org/business/consumer-products/What-in-sunscreen-and-how-does-it-protect-your-skin-from-the-sun-rays/99/i27

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. (2021, November 8). Sunscreen: How to help protect your skin from the sun. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/understanding-over-counter-medicines/sunscreen-how-help-protect-your-skin-sun

Heerfordt, I. M., Torsnes, L. R., Philipsen, P. A., & Wulf, H. C. (2018, March 28). Sunscreen use optimized by two consecutive applications. PloS one. Retrieved February 12, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5874020/