Are you sun smart?

After most of us returning from summer holidays where we have exposed ourselves to the sun more than normal this time of the year in all our travels, whilst enjoying the outdoors in some way or another... did you consider smearing yourself with a SAFE sunscreen? ? I did some research for my own interest and thought it was worth a share!

South Africans, in general tend to be relatively sun smart, but there are still those who choose to cover themselves in coconut oil and bake in the sun in order to achieve that perfect tan... well those days should be something of the past. Our sun is fierce and and climate change and various other factors now effects the exposure we are now faced with.

So how does a sunscreen vs sunblock work ?
Sunscreen combines organic and inorganic chemicals to filter the light from the sun so that less of it reaches the deeper layers of your skin. Like a screen door, some light penetrates, but not as much as if the door wasn't present.
Sunblock, on the other hand, reflects or scatters the light away so that it doesn't reach the skin at all. The reflective particles in sunblocks usually consist of zinc oxide or titanium oxide. In the past, you could tell who was using a sunblock just by looking, because the sunblock whited out the skin. Not all modern sunblocks are visible because the oxide particles are smaller, though you can still find the traditional white zinc oxide. Sunscreens usually include sunblocks as part of their active ingredients. 

There are three regions of ultraviolet light.
1. UV-A penetrates deeply into the skin and can lead to cancer and premature skin aging.
2. UV-B is involved in tanning and burning of your skin.
3. UV-C is completely absorbed by the earth's atmosphere.

The organic molecules in sunscreen absorb the ultraviolet radiation and release it as heat. •PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) absorbs UVB. Cinnamates absorb UVB .Benzophenones absorb UVA
•Anthranilates absorb UVA and UVB  and Ecamsules absorb UVA.

The term we all heard of but perhaps dont know what is stands for? SPF which stands for  Sun Protection Factor. It's a number that you can use to help determine how long you can stay in the sun before getting a sunburn. Since sunburns are caused by UV-B radiation, SPF does not indicate protection from UV-A, which can cause cancer and premature aging of the skin.

Your skin has a natural SPF, partially determined by how much melanin you have, or how darkly pigmented your skin is. The SPF is a multiplication factor. If you can stay out in the sun 15 minutes before burning, using a sunscreen with an SPF of 10 would allow you to resist the burn for 10x longer or 150 minutes. Although the SPF only applies to UV-B, the labels of most products indicate if they offer broad spectrum protection, which is some indication of whether or not they work against UV-A radiation. The particles in sunblock reflect both UV-A and UV-B.

South African shelves are packed with imported and locally manufactured sunscreens. Cansa has compiled a list of sunscreens that meet the conditions for its seal of approval. In order to receive this certification, sunscreens have to have a sun protection factor (SPF) of between 20 and 50, provide protection against both UVA and UVB, and meet the standards determined by the SABS. It is interesting to note that some of the most popular SA brands, such as Piz Buin, Everysun, and Tropitone are not on the list!?!

Since 2005 all sunscreens with the CANSA Seal of Recognition (CSOR) had to be broad-spectrum i.e. give protection against UVA and UVB radiation in a ratio of 0.4/1.

Recent research however, has found an increased correlation between UVA exposure and the onset of malignant melanoma, as well as non-optimal UVA protection provided by existing sunscreens in terms of the total UVA radiation spectrum and the photo stability of many critical sunscreen chemicals – leading to a worldwide demand for sunscreen with improved UVA protection properties...so the research continues.

For more information of the latest updates and findings, visit the CANSA website as the research conitunues. I hope this information I have shared gives you the opportunity to make a smarter choice when chosing which suncream to apply, if you didn't already know!