Spring is just round the corner and finally the sun has started to peek out from behind the clouds. But even with global warming, isn’t it too early to start thinking about protecting yourself from the sun’s rays? Apparently not.
We used to only mention sun protection factors (SPF) in relation to holidays. It was the magic ingredient in suntan lotions that ensured a glowing, rather than blistered body, after a week baking in the sun. But with our growing awareness of the sun’s ageing effects and concern about skin cancer, women and men are beginning to realise that sun protection is as necessary every day at home as it is when abroad.
Research published last week showed that young people were twice as likely to suffer from skin cancer now as 20 years ago. In the UK between 1991 and 2000 there was an increase of 49 per cent in the incidence of skin cancer. In 2000 alone there were 7,000 cases of melanoma skin cancer which killed 1,600 people, and 62,000 new registrations of the less dangerous non-melanoma skin cancer and 500 deaths, according to Cancer Research UK. Both types are triggered by sunlight.
The beauty industry, naturally, has cottoned on to our anxiety. Counters across the country are stacked with skin products — from moisturisers, lip balms and lipsticks to foundations — that now claim not only to keep our skin moist but protected from ultraviolet radiation. So what’s the problem? Why don’t we just wear the right creams and protect ourselves from the sun’s damaging rays? Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as that. There are the two types of sun radiation. The type called UVB causes burning and is a risk factor for cancer. The type called UVA — the predominant radiation which occurs even on cloudy days — not only gives a suntan but causes damage beneath the skin surface and possibly cancer in the long term. Most SPF creams protect only against UVB.
Then there is the confusion of suncream gradings and the SPF numbers which protect against UVB rays. They vary according to company and country and it takes a knowledgeable sun worshipper to work it out. There is UVA protection available, but there isn’t a worldwide indicator for it, although some companies in Britain use a star system — a five-star rating being the highest UVA protection.
But even if you manage to work out the different grading systems in order to choose the best moisturiser for you, there is a big argument against using moisturisers with an SPF factor altogether. Some scientists believe we are lulled into false security when we use them — because skin doesn’t burn we assume we are protected from all the sun’s rays. That means we stay in sunlight longer than is healthy.
Dr Des Fernandes, a South African plastic surgeon who created a vitamin A-based Environ skincare range after watching two young melanoma patients die, says: “Putting on a high SPF fools people into thinking they are safe when in fact they are just being prevented from going red. Damage to the skin from UVA rays is still occurring. Also, you have to remember that high-factor SPFs might protect against UVB, the burning ray, for a short time, but they become weaker on exposure to the sun.
People assume an SPF stays the same the whole day, but it doesn’t. A single dose of SPF15 is ineffective a few hours later.”He also believes that creams with high SPFs contain high levels of chemicals that are potentially toxic. “Denmark was so unsure about them that it recently banned all products containing methoxycinnamate (the common UVB absorber),” Fernandes says.
The chemical components of SPFs are a source of debate. Several “natural” companies, such as Jurlique, Syence, Aveda and Dr Hauschka, will not include them in their products because of the strength of the chemicals. “They’re so strong that in the United States they are regarded as drugs,” says Sean Campbell, CEO of Syence. “To attain an SPF above 15 in a product, you have to use a serious concentrate of chemicals, which can’t be good for skin on a daily basis. Below 15, you can use filters to reflect radiation, such as zinc oxide, which are not as irritating to skin. No company has done a long-term study on the potentially toxic effects of long-term SPF use because it is a contentious issue and has no benefit to them.”
However, there are signs that even the big companies are becoming reluctant to use high concentrates of chemical SPF. Estée Lauder announced recently that its research was focused on reducing — or even eliminating — the SPF content in cosmetics. “The way forward is to boost the skin’s own internal defences and ability to protect itself,” says Dr Daniel Maes, Estée Lauder’s vice-president of research and development, whose latest SPF product, DayWear Plus, keeps the SPF in a film above the skin, so the chemicals are not absorbed. “It is a question of triggering natural protection through the use of antioxidants rather than loading the skin with chemicals.” Antioxidants are believed to destroy free radicals, the unstable (and possibly cancer-causing) atoms produced by the body in response to triggers such as ultraviolet light.
Fernandes agrees that antioxidants are the way forward. “Sunscreens, even with the highest SPF, do not block all the light, so light still gets into the skin and creates free radicals,” he says.
So what should we look for when searching for this magical moisturiser? The most effective ingredients, Fernandes says, are creams that contain oil-soluble antioxidants. Vitamin A, he stresses, is the most important element of all, reducing the sensitivity of skin to sunlight as well as suppressing chemical damage if it is used soon after exposure to light (ie, at night, as well as day).
Fernandes says that skincare regimes should start in childhood and not be left until sun damage has set in. “I’d recommend topical vitamin A from a young age, antioxidant-rich sunscreen of SPF4 all year, and an additional sun protection cream of SPF15 with five-star UVA protection if you’re going outside in summer. The amount of suncream is vital, too, as most people don’t apply nearly enough, frequently enough.”
Cancer Research UK has launched a SunSmart campaign to educate the public about the dangers of the sun. It emphasises that suncare should be individual according to skin types: those with fair skin that burns or freckles easily, and those with red or fair hair and pale eyes, or lots of moles, should be even more careful. Users of sunbeds should also be warned that several cases of cancer reported were on parts of women’s bodies that had been exposed only on a sunbed which emitted UVA rays, says Kate Law, head of clinical trials.
However, it should be remembered that not all UVB light is harmful, says Claire Thompson, head of research and development for Dr Hauschka. “We need about 15 minutes of sunlight three times a week for our bodies to make vitamin D. So that short walk to the station in the morning sunlight is good to produce vitamin D for healthy bones, and plays a part in the brain in keeping us alert and happy. Of course, if you are in hot sun, you need an SPF on top of your moisturiser. But if it ’s winter, or you’re in an office, good antioxidants and a low SPF protection will do,” she says.
So one message comes through loud and clear from every skincare expert: we need basic protection from UV every day, winter or summer, and a good dose of antioxidants, if our faces aren’t to look like our handbags.
SAVE YOUR OWN SKIN
Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer and is the most common cancer in 15 to 39-year-olds; it can be fatal. Abnormal moles are a common first sign of melanoma.
The Mole Clinic (020-7297 2075, www.themoleclinic.co.uk) uses computer analysis to check suspicious moles. Initial visual screening, £95; computer analysis, £115.
