I continue in the spirit of the sun about sun protection. Clothing and hats/caps are undoubtedly the best sun protection. Babies and small children should be kept away from direct strong sun. But if you want to protect yourself with sun products, how do you choose?
Chemical or physical protection?
Of course, I think you should choose physical protection. Examples of this can be clothing or sun products that contain particles (titanium dioxide) that reflect the sun’s rays.
Chemical sun protection contains chemicals that convert the wavelength (energy) of the sun’s rays. These chemicals often contain amines that can form cancer-causing nitrosamines.
Moreover, studies show that about 9% of the amount of chemical sun protection you apply to your body ends up in your urine. This means the chemicals are absorbed by the skin and enter the body. What they do inside the body on the way out is unknown. I wonder where the remaining 91% goes.
So the big difference is that chemical sunscreens are absorbed by the body, while physical ones remain on the skin. However, you should be cautious of finely milled physical particles in nano size. Read more about that here.
Sun cream for babies and children
Again, clothing is the best option, but if you want to complement with sun cream, only physical sun protection applies here. Adults’ livers are fully developed and can break down chemicals much better than children’s. Therefore, for several years there has been a recommendation to only apply physical sun protection to babies and children.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, I must emphasize the importance of avoiding nanoparticles for the little ones. Eco Cosmetics has a children’s sun cream that is also suitable for children under 1 year. Physical protection with titanium dioxide (without nanoparticles).
Different UV rays
There are 3 groups of UV radiation: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC radiation is absorbed and filtered by the ozone layer, so it is UVA and UVB we need to protect ourselves against.
UVA
UVA penetrates the deeper layers of the skin, affects the skin’s melanin, and makes us tan. UVA does not burn the skin but causes premature aging and can damage the underlying tissue. Many studies show that UVA radiation can also promote the development of skin cancer. UVA is not filtered at all by clouds. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, it may be wise to protect your face year-round.
UVB
UVB radiation affects the outer tissue of the skin and causes pigment cells to produce more pigment and the epidermis to thicken. This is an important protective mechanism for our skin. UVB is also the radiation that burns the skin. Intense or prolonged exposure to UVB rays makes the skin red and burned. Unlike UVA, UVB rays are reduced and filtered by clouds in the sky.
UVC
Very dangerous (lethal) radiation filtered by the ozone layer. However, there are still tanning lamps that emit small amounts of UVC. UVC rays are used, among other things, in healthcare to remove dead tissue. There is no sun protection standard for UVC. Claiming that a sun cream protects against UVC is a false sales argument.
SPF (sun protection factor) and labels
A rather confusing label, in my opinion. This UVA label shows that a sun protection product protects against both UVA and UVB radiation. The EU’s recommendations are that protection against UVA should be 1/3 of that against UVB. The EU recommends that a UVA symbol should be printed on the packaging to show that this protection is achieved. This UVA label is usually found on sun protection products made in an EU country. Titanium dioxide protects against both UVA and UVB.
Example SPF 2: Means it lets through 50% (100/2) of UVB light. You can therefore stay in the sun twice as long compared to time without sun protection.
Example SPF 10: Lets through 10% (100/10) of UVB light. And so on.
SPF for a sun protection product must be at least 6. The highest protection is 50+. Claiming that a product provides 100% sun protection is incorrect (and illegal). Remember to use sun protection with a high SPF when you are at your palest. Switch to one with a lower SPF when you have a tan or dilute your existing sun protection product with cream/lotion/oil. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, e.g., cycling year-round, a face cream with SPF can be a good idea since clouds do not filter out UVA rays.
