SPF-SUN PROTECTION FACTOR: IS IT A MYTH?

 

Sun screen, sunblock, sunburn cream, sun cream are the various names given  is a lotion, spray, gel, foam, stick or other topical product that absorbs or reflects some of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation and thus helps protect against sunburn.

 

It decreases your risk of developing skin cancer.

It keeps you looking young.

Sunscreen keeps your skin tone even.

The ozone layer is depleting.

The occurrence of skin cancer is more in European countries mainly in Scandinavian countries. Comparatively  the prevalence of skin cancer in India is on a lower scale due to presence of Eumelanin , which acts as a protective mechanism in Indian population.[found in dark skin].Eumelanin is one of the constituents of which melanin is made up of.

 

Benefits like it keeps you looking young & keeps skin tone even are important from aesthetic point of view. Especially the UV rays cause the major damage to your skin. The ozone acts as a sun shield for the earth by absorbing harmful UVB rays before they reach the ground. As the ozone layer depletes, your body needs added protection from these harmful rays which sunscreen may provide.

 

SPF: SPF measures sunscreen protection from UVB rays, the kind that cause sunburn and contribute to skin cancer. SPF does not measure how well a sunscreen will protect from UVA rays, which are also damaging and dangerous. Many studies have found that people are misled by the claims on high-SPF sunscreen bottles. They are more likely to use high-SPF products improperly and as a result may expose themselves to more harmful ultraviolet radiation than do people who rely on products with lower SPF values. People using sun screen often assume they get twice as much protection from SPF 100 sunscreen as from SPF 50. But the extra protection is negligible. Properly applied SPF 50 sunscreen blocks 98 percent of UVB rays; SPF 100 blocks 99 percent. When used correctly, sunscreen with SPF values between 30 and 50 offers adequate sunburn protection, even for people most sensitive to sunburn. [EWG-Washington]

 

SAFE INGREDIENTS: U.S.F.D.A. considers “generally recognized as safe and effective,” or GRASE.  12 ingredients which include some of the most commonly used UV filters, including oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and avobenzone,zinc oxide & titanium dioxide.