I’d like to kick sunscreen out of my bathroom, but knowing the sun stimulates my melasma and that melanoma is on the rise, skipping it is not an option.
Plus, I just learned that sunburn in childhood doubles the chance of getting a melanoma in adulthood, so as a mom, I’m not messing around with my cub’s well being.
Skin cancer aside, I get smug satisfaction after slathering my face and family in sun goop every day.
But the new news that’s blowing my mind is the emerging evidence about just how toxic some of the ingredients in sunscreen might be. I cleaned out over three-quarters of my sunscreen products after doing research for this article.
So in the spirit of simplicity and sanity, I present my Top 10 cheat sheet on the FDA guidelines compliments of Skincancer.org and new learning around which ingredients and forms are safe from Environmental Working Group, my new favorite website for healthy living.
Here we go:
1. On the label look for broad spectrum (this means they protect against UVA and UVB rays), SPF 30 or above and water-resistant, because if it’s hot we’re sweating and that equals water.
2. Look for active ingredients zinc 5%-20% (particularly great as a melasma defense), avobenzone and Mexoryl SX.
3. Avoid the ingredients retinyl palmitate, retinol, vitamin A and oxybenzone. Retinol is a great anti-aging ingredient, but use it only at night. When it’s exposed to the sun, retinol has been suspected of stimulating carcinogenic activity in the skin. You might ask, what sunscreen manufacturer would use it, but these ingredients are found in over 25% of all sunscreen. Three of my favorite brands had it.
Even more prevalent is oxybenzone, a synthetic estrogen that’s been suspected of messing with your hormonal balance. All but two of the sunscreen brands my family use have this.
4. Get your hands dirty and use creams, not sprays. Not only are the nano particles in the aerosol sprays dangerous to your lungs if inhaled, they are highly flammable, even after applied to your skin.
5. Skip sunscreens with insect repellent. Apply them separately. The thinking behind this is that bugs are less active during prime UV hours (not sure I agree), but that you’re also less apt to reapply every few hours. More worrisome is that the insect repellent absorbs more easily into your skin.
6. No sunscreen wipes. In 2011, the FDA banned them from all but the smallest manufacturers as being ineffective in terms of delivering the amount of sunscreen you truly need.
7. Caution: sunscreen powders are being reviewed. I’m a huge fan of Color Science, but there’s speculation as to whether the small particles can do the same damage as the aerosols. For now this is on my list because at least my family and I reapply it during high sun activities.
8. Avoid SPF less than 15. These will do diddily squat when it comes to protection from the sun.
9. Avoid the terms “SPF over 50″, “sunblock”, “sweat-proof” and “waterproof” as these have been deemed misleading. Oh and there is no such thing as a sunscreen that is effective for more than 2 hours, so keep reapplying the stuff.
10. Lastly, apply a glob about the size of nickel to your face (or a shot glass size to all exposed areas of the body) at least a half hour before going outside. Hey, I know it’s a drag, but there are so many good formulas these days that there’s not excuse for just making it a habit.
OK, let’s go shopping. Here’s a list of sunscreen brands that don’t have any of the bad stuff mentioned above. My first crack at the list was triple the size, but once I looked for the ingredients to avoid — retinyl palmitate, retinol, vitamin A and oxybenzone, it shrunk to this tiny size.
A few things to note; sunscreen isn’t one size fits all. What works for a daily face sunscreen under make-up may not be great for a high sun day at the beach where water resistance is a premium. What works for your body, might to be great for your face. Find a brand you like and then buy a few products in the family for different needs. The good news is many of them are organic and paraben free.
1. Supergoop SPF 30+ City Sunscreen Serum with Uniprotect PT-3. I haven’t used this personally, but my friends who have, love it. And who can blame them, it boasts avobenzone and also claims to protect from environmental damage. They also have a CC cream that has zinc. About $42.
2. Coola Liplux SPF 30. Contains sunscreen darling avobenzone and like everything else from this wonderful line, is 100% organic and paraban free.
3. Vanicream SPF 35 Sport Sunscreen. Designed for sensitive skin, water-resistant for 80 minutes PABA free and a favorite of EWG. Better yet, it has 11% zinc which is great for melasma prone skin like mine.
4. SkinCeuticals Sheer Physical Defense SPF 50. Great for even the most sensitive skin, this is paraben free and has 6% zinc and 5% titanium dioxide. About $32.
5. Shisheido Sun Protection Eye Creme SPF 34. There aren’t many eye cremes out there with SPF, but I’ve used this on occasion and think it works when I’m in high sun situations without stinging my eyes. For the day-to-day, I rely on my prescription sunglasses. About $33.
6. Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid. One of my personal favorites, it has titanium dioxide, goes on sheer and works beautifully with your make-up. Note that the mineral formula is the only one that does not have oxybenzone. About$33
7. EltaMD UV Daily Broad Spectrum UV 40. I’ve been living off samples I got from my dermatologist and love this. It’s as moisturizing as it protecting, especially with 9% zinc oxide. Great under make-up.
8. Dermaquest ZincClear SPF 30. The highest concentration of zinc out there with 18%. Dr. Irwin recommends highly recommends it for melasma sufferers like me. About $50.
9. Coola Classic Unscented Body Moisturizer SPF 30. All natural ingredients, super water resistant, paraban free and packed with good stuff like avobenzone. And kids love it, especially the scented versions. About $32.
10. Color Science Sunforgettable SPF 30 Powder. None of the bad stuff, but all of the good like titanium dioxide and zinc. The best part about this is that you pack in your bag and it’s easy to reapply. I like that it absorbs my sweat on gross days and even my son uses it.About $50.
Lastly, I’m finding rash guards with SPF are not only a nice way to wear a bikini AND hide bulges, but if you like to play in the waves like my family and I do, they’re a necessity. Fortunately, now they’re super cute like this one from J. Crew. Another great source for all things sun is Coolibar (thanks to Dr. Michelle Greene for the suggestion) where you can get space age sun umbrellas that come in handy at picnics, the beach and soccer games.
If you have any other good brands to add to the list, please let me know.
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5 Things about Sunscreenings You May Not Know
1. Just Looking at the SPF Number is NOT Enough
Most people think that as long as a sunscreen's SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is high enough, they're covered. Not quite - there are two types of ultraviolet rays produced by the sun that hit the skin - UVA, and UVB (there's also UVC, but that's absorbed by our ozone layer, so you don't have to worry about it). The simplified explanation is that both UVA and UVB damage the skin - they can damage collagen fibers in the skin, as well as cause free radical damage. UVB causes sunburn but UVA does not. UVA rays can be very harmful as well. They damage the deeper layer of the skin where most skin cancers occur.
Now, the SPF number in a sunscreen is only the measure of protection against UVB rays. Basically, the higher the SPF, the greater the protection you get against UVB rays. Of course, this leaves out half the story - you don't know anything about whether the sunscreen can offer protection against UVA rays. So even if you slather sunscreen all over your body, if it doesn't have much UVA protection, you will still subject yourself to sun damage. In fact, you may be worse off, because you won't burn as quickly despite exposure to UVA rays, thus you may end up staying out in the sun for longer.
So how do you determine whether a sunscreen has good UVA protection or not? Make sure the sunscreen you choose is labeled Broad Spectrum. With the new FDA regulations set forth in 2012, sunscreens need to pass specific testing protocols in order to be labeled Broad Spectrum so that you know you are being protected from both.
2. Know Whether Your Sunscreen is Physical or Chemical
Sunscreens offer protection in two ways - physical, and/or chemical. A sunscreen can be purely physical, purely chemical, or both. Physical filters utilize ingredients (there are really only two, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) to reflect and scatter the sun's rays. So basically, these ingredients sit on top of your skin, and deflect the sun's rays away from your skin (I oversimplified, but you get the idea). So they physically block the sun's rays. Chemical filters (avobenzone, octocrylene etc) work differently. These absorb the incoming UV rays, and then "convert" them to heat.
So, you may ask, what's the difference between the two? Well, physical sunscreens are less cosmetically elegant - so if you get that white cast on your face, it's usually due to the physical filters in your sunscreen. In addition, physical sunscreens tend to be thicker, and more opaque, and thus tend to have a heavier texture, which some people don't like. On the bright side, they are generally more photostable, and they are generally agreed to be less likely to aggravate sensitive skin. Chemical sunscreens tend to have a better texture, as they tend to be colorless and more watery in texture, and don't give you "white sunscreen face", but on the other hand, they tend to aggravate some types of sensitive skin more. Some badly formulated ones can sting and burn sensitive skin.
So, if you do have sensitive skin, it is a good idea to look out for a physical sunscreen. Often I get feedback from my female acquaintances telling me about how this or that sunscreen cause them skin sensitivities, and when I check, they're invariably using a sunscreen that's heavy on the chemical filters. Of course, this is an over-generalization because everyone's skin is different, and there are lots of ways to formulate sunscreen (the base, in addition to the active ingredients, could contain irritating compounds). But if you have sensitive skin, it's worth bearing in mind. The bottom line - there's a tradeoff between cosmetic elegance and skin aggravation. You have to find the balance, and it starts by knowing the difference between physical and chemical filters.
So, you may ask, what's the difference between the two? Well, physical sunscreens are less cosmetically elegant - so if you get that white cast on your face, it's usually due to the physical filters in your sunscreen. In addition, physical sunscreens tend to be thicker, and more opaque, and thus tend to have a heavier texture, which some people don't like. On the bright side, they are generally more photostable, and they are generally agreed to be less likely to aggravate sensitive skin. Chemical sunscreens tend to have a better texture, as they tend to be colorless and more watery in texture, and don't give you "white sunscreen face", but on the other hand, they tend to aggravate some types of sensitive skin more. Some badly formulated ones can sting and burn sensitive skin.
So, if you do have sensitive skin, it is a good idea to look out for a physical sunscreen. Often I get feedback from my female acquaintances telling me about how this or that sunscreen cause them skin sensitivities, and when I check, they're invariably using a sunscreen that's heavy on the chemical filters. Of course, this is an over-generalization because everyone's skin is different, and there are lots of ways to formulate sunscreen (the base, in addition to the active ingredients, could contain irritating compounds). But if you have sensitive skin, it's worth bearing in mind. The bottom line - there's a tradeoff between cosmetic elegance and skin aggravation. You have to find the balance, and it starts by knowing the difference between physical and chemical filters.
3. Layering SPF Products Does Not Work
Another common question I get is, "If I use an SPF 15 moisturizer, and an SPF 20 sunscreen, will I get SPF 35 on my face?" I hate to break it to these girls, since I see so many people doing this, but the answer is no. Then said girl will invariably ask, "Or is it just SPF 20, since that's the higher of the two?" Once again, no.
The reason why SPF 15 + SPF 15 doesn't = SPF 30 is because some SPF ingredients can interfere with each other, or stabilize each other. This has to do with issues of photostability in the sunscreen. Some ingredients degrade other ingredients, thus offering less protection overall. A commonly-cited example is uncoated titanium dioxide or zinc oxide degrading avobenzene. In other words, if you have a sunscreen containing zinc oxide, and another sunscreen containing avobenzene, it is not a good idea to use them together or layer them on top of the other. Other ingredients, on the other hand, stabilize each other - for example, avobenzene is stabilized by specific amounts of octocrylene, so they are often used together in sunscreen formulations.
The reality is that it's hard to tell how a sunscreen will react with another sunscreen, unless you know specifically what the active ingredients are, and how they would react with each other. But we aren't all PhD holders. So the easiest way is to just have only ONE product with SPF in your routine (that is, the sunscreen) and apply that properly. That way, you can be sure it won't have any other sunscreen ingredients to interfere with its efficacy. Don't get a moisturizer with SPF, a foundation with SPF, and try to layer them both with a sunscreen. That's just a waste of all that sun protection in the product.
The reason why SPF 15 + SPF 15 doesn't = SPF 30 is because some SPF ingredients can interfere with each other, or stabilize each other. This has to do with issues of photostability in the sunscreen. Some ingredients degrade other ingredients, thus offering less protection overall. A commonly-cited example is uncoated titanium dioxide or zinc oxide degrading avobenzene. In other words, if you have a sunscreen containing zinc oxide, and another sunscreen containing avobenzene, it is not a good idea to use them together or layer them on top of the other. Other ingredients, on the other hand, stabilize each other - for example, avobenzene is stabilized by specific amounts of octocrylene, so they are often used together in sunscreen formulations.
The reality is that it's hard to tell how a sunscreen will react with another sunscreen, unless you know specifically what the active ingredients are, and how they would react with each other. But we aren't all PhD holders. So the easiest way is to just have only ONE product with SPF in your routine (that is, the sunscreen) and apply that properly. That way, you can be sure it won't have any other sunscreen ingredients to interfere with its efficacy. Don't get a moisturizer with SPF, a foundation with SPF, and try to layer them both with a sunscreen. That's just a waste of all that sun protection in the product.
4. Apply Your Sunscreen Properly
Everyone knows by now that you need to reapply sunscreen every two hours. But there are two major issues with application that I will go into: not applying enough, and excessive rubbing.
Not applying enough
Do you know how SPF is calculated? It's calculated by measuring the amount of UV protection afforded by the sunscreen, using 2mg of sunscreen per cm2 of skin area. Yes, 2mg/cm2. Use any less, and you'll be getting less than the stated SPF on the bottle.
So, what does 2mg/cm2 of sunscreen look like on your face? This should translate into half a teaspoon for your face and neck, and half a teaspoon for each arm (this is an approximate measurement, and would vary with the surface area of your face/neck/arms). Most people I know don't use anywhere near to the correct amount of sunscreen, even though they buy really expensive sunscreen products. That's a pity. Remember, always use at least half a teaspoon. If in doubt, use more rather than less. How much you use determines how much protection you get.
Rubbing in Your Sunscreen
Sunscreen is supposed to sit in an even, unbroken layer across the surface of your face. That's how it reflects/scatters/absorbs the UV rays before they hit your skin. So when applying your sunscreen - that should be your aim. Rubbing or buffing in your sunscreen will break the even layer across your face, and affect its effectiveness. I know the temptation to rub it into your skin can be strong, but yes, it is supposed to sit on top of your skin to work properly. It's sunscreen, not skincare.
As a corollary, it also irritates me when people put on sunscreen, and then buff or rub their foundation on top of the sunscreen. By doing so, the sunscreen's efficacy has been lessened. I guess for people who use makeup on top of their sunscreen, rubbing and buffing will be inevitable - the only tip then would be to keep the rubbing to a minimum.
Not applying enough
Do you know how SPF is calculated? It's calculated by measuring the amount of UV protection afforded by the sunscreen, using 2mg of sunscreen per cm2 of skin area. Yes, 2mg/cm2. Use any less, and you'll be getting less than the stated SPF on the bottle.
So, what does 2mg/cm2 of sunscreen look like on your face? This should translate into half a teaspoon for your face and neck, and half a teaspoon for each arm (this is an approximate measurement, and would vary with the surface area of your face/neck/arms). Most people I know don't use anywhere near to the correct amount of sunscreen, even though they buy really expensive sunscreen products. That's a pity. Remember, always use at least half a teaspoon. If in doubt, use more rather than less. How much you use determines how much protection you get.
Rubbing in Your Sunscreen
Sunscreen is supposed to sit in an even, unbroken layer across the surface of your face. That's how it reflects/scatters/absorbs the UV rays before they hit your skin. So when applying your sunscreen - that should be your aim. Rubbing or buffing in your sunscreen will break the even layer across your face, and affect its effectiveness. I know the temptation to rub it into your skin can be strong, but yes, it is supposed to sit on top of your skin to work properly. It's sunscreen, not skincare.
As a corollary, it also irritates me when people put on sunscreen, and then buff or rub their foundation on top of the sunscreen. By doing so, the sunscreen's efficacy has been lessened. I guess for people who use makeup on top of their sunscreen, rubbing and buffing will be inevitable - the only tip then would be to keep the rubbing to a minimum.
5. Sunscreen in Non-Sunscreen Products is Useless
Well, not quite useless. But generally, unless these products are used and applied like sunscreen, you aren't likely to get much UV protection from these products.
First of all, no one applies 2mg/cm2 of foundation to their face. You'd end up with a very cakey makeup look - not great. The same is true for moisturizer and powder. So in reality, although SPF 15 in that foundation may sound great, unless you apply half a teaspoon of foundation for face and neck, you're not getting anywhere close to SPF 15. In fact, some estimates show that your average SPF 15 powder is giving you a true SPF of 1.1, and your SPF 15 moisturizer is giving you actual protection of SPF 8 to 10 with average application.
The second issue is to do with buffing and rubbing. When you use moisturizer, foundation, or powder, or other makeup product, you're supposed to buff and rub. I mean, a skillful makeup application means lots of blending, right? Unfortunately, it also makes for very lousy SPF coverage. This means to get SPF 15 of coverage listed on your foundation, you'd have to use half a teaspoon of foundation, and try not to blend it in.
Lastly, of course, you can't layer SPF products (or you can, but the active ingredients may interfere with each other). I've already written about this, so I won't go into details again. So now you can see why I hate foundations, powders, moisturizers, etc with sunscreen in them. They're really more a marketing gimmick than anything else, since most people would use these products in a manner which would render very little, if any, UV protection at all.
So there you have it, the five most useful sunscreen tips I've ever encountered in a very simplified way. So have fun in the sun, but be smart about the way you protect your skin. Sunscreen is the most effective anti-aging product on the market, but only if you use it properly.
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