At the end of their skincare treatments, my clients receive a generous application of an SPF30 sunscreen. After spending an hour, or more, getting someone’s skin on the road to good condition, the last thing I want is for them to walk out of the treatment room and into the ravages of the sun that include premature aging, wrinkling, dryness, hyperpigmentation or damage that could lead to skin cancer.
I do research into the products that I apply and offer for sale to clients. I have studied to recognize what sunscreen ingredients are effective and which are not. For the average consumer, the world of sunscreens can be daunting. What do all those terms mean? There’s sunscreen, sunblock, UVA, UVB, sweat-resistant, waterproof and how much to apply, to name a few. Most people fight through the maze of the more and more sun protection products by guessing.
It was nearly 30 years ago that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its first and only regulation for sunscreen as an over-the-counter drug to prevent or reduce sunburn. As more scientific information has come about and more chemicals have been added the FDA has not updated its regulation.
It is absolutely true that sunscreens can impede sunburn and lower the incidence of at least one form of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma which kills between 2,000 and 2,500 Americans a year. It should also protect against melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer as well as basal cell carcinoma because it can inhibit harmful ultraviolet rays that contribute to these diseases.
SPF, sun protection factor, measures how effective a product is in preventing a burn caused by the sun’s ultraviolet B rays. SPF is determined by dividing how many minutes it takes lab volunteers to burn wearing a thick layer of a product by the minutes they take to burn without the product.
Ultraviolet A rays contribute to skin cancers as well as skin aging. Many products contain UVA screening agents, but there is no regulation or rating system for them. Ingredients that protect against UVA rays are: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone and Mexoryl SX.
There is no such thing as “all-day protection”. Sunscreen must be frequently reapplied at least every two hours. How much to apply and reapply? One teaspoon for the face and 1-oz (shot glass) to the body.
Waterproof and sweat-resistant have no real definitions. How long can you be in the water? How much can you sweat?
The difference between sunscreen and sunblock is that sunscreen screens the sun’s rays so that the skin will tan whereas sunblock blocks the sun’s rays completely. Sunblock is opaque on the skin and contains a large amount of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Be safe in the sun wear your sunscreen, SPF30 or higher. Wear long-sleeved shirts and wide-brimmed hats (4 inches). Wear sunglasses to protect the eyes.
Tamara Boswell Petrucci is a licensed esthetician and has had her practice in north Orange County, CA. for 5-years. Her website is http://www.TamarasSkinCare.com
Source: www.ezinearticles.com