New FDA Sunscreen Labels - A Good Start...

As June 2012 approaches, sunscreen companies are continuing to change their labels to adhere to the new Food and Drug Administration's sunscreen label regulations.  While these new rules will make it easier and more accurate for consumers to purchase and use sunscreen effectively, it may also temporarily hinder some sunscreen companies from providing innovative sunscreen methods for consumers. 

First, let's review what the new FDA sunscreen regulations will entail:

No UPF higher than 50

Must prove Broad Spectrum

Cannot claim waterproof - only water resistant and must list how long before effectiveness is impacted (example-40 min.)

While these changes may help increase consumer's ability to use sunscreens more effectively, it is also going to temporarily remove many sunscreen options that currently exist to consumers.  My personal favorite (and a favorite among our customers) is the Shady Day sunscreen wipe.  These wipes are convenient, easy to use, effective and great for travel.  However, they are not included in the FDA's Over the Counter sunscreen monograph (ie. they are not able to market as an SPF sunscreen). 

Here is a clip from the FDA, "...sunscreens in certain dosage forms such as wipes, towelettes, powders, body washes, and shampoos are not  currently considered eligible for inclusion in the sunscreen monograph, and even if their eligibility were established, they lack a sufficient record to support inclusion in the sunscreen monograph."  Click here for the full document.

We are saddened to see these options removed for customers because the more sun protective sunscreen options we can provide, the more likely consumers will practice safe sun habits.  However, we are excited to see the FDA getting more involved to ensure that existing sunscreens are living up to their claims.  For the most consistent and reliable sun protection, in addition to wearing daily sunscreen, continue to wear sun protective clothing, sun protective rashguard shirts, sun hats and seek shade or indoor activities during the highest UV peak hours.

New Hope for Melanoma Patients

While early intervention is still the best hope for skin cancer melanoma patients, a new drug was recently approved that gives hope to late-stage melanoma sufferers. Yervoy was recently approved by the FDA as the first drug shown to extend the life of late-stage skin cancer patients by several months. Despite the high cost ($120,00o for a 3 month session) and potentially dangerous side effects, many patients and doctors are excited about this new hope for the fight against skin cancer. There are several other drugs in the testing phase that hope to deliver the same, or better, results but Yervoy is the first to get FDA approval. There were about 68,000 new cases of melanoma in the United States just last year and 8700 deaths. While early stage melanoma, in the form of a mole, can be removed and treated with successful results, late stage melanoma that has already metastasized, or spread, has been virtually unresponsive to most existing drugs on the market. While it is still relatively unknown how much Yervoy will help to extend patients' lives at this point, the early results are very promising. In the meantime, the best defense against all skin cancer is prevention. Practicing sun safe habits throughout your life and teaching your children to do the same. Sunscreen, sun protective clothing, sun hats and sunglasses help protect your skin from the sun's UV damage. In addition, keep an eye on all changes to moles or new moles and visit a dermatologist once every 2-3 years for a professional skin exam.

Does Sunscreen Really Work in Make-up?

As more women become educated on the aging affects that the sun has on our skin, many make-up manufacturers have come out with SPF protection in their foundations, powders and lipsticks. I have often wondered if all those make-up foundations that claim to have SPF sunscreen protection really work as well as applying regular SPF chemical sunscreens. It would seem like such a great convenience for busy women to take care of applying sunscreen and make-up in one easy step. But is it too good to be true?

I did a little research and discovered that studies have shown make-up alone is not a sufficient sunscreen. The reason being that most foundations tend to move around and settle into pores and wrinkles over a couple hours, therefore, leaving the skin unprotected. Dermatologists agree that the added protection of SPF in make-up is great for very small doses of sun exposure and for a short period of time, but for longer sun exposure, applying a SPF 30 before make-up is the best protection.

Health and Beauty expert Sue Chung, from HealthCentral.com, recommends a layering effect for complete sun protection. Here is her recommendation: "After cleansing the face, first use a moisturizer with an SPF of 15. The most effective chemical sunscreens include avobenzone (which can be listed as Parsol 1789) and Mexoryl. These are also usually labeled as "broad-spectrum" sun protection.

Once the moisturizer gets absorbed, apply your foundation. Try to choose one that also includes an SPF of at least 15. Finally, apply powder. While the powder does not need to feature SPF, most cosmetic powders contain zinc oxide, a mineral that acts as a physical barrier against sun damage." (www.healthcentral.com)

So, while using make-up with SPF protection is definitely an added benefit that can only help maintain your skin's radiance, the continued recommendation is to use a lotion sunscreen first.

Are School Recesses Putting Kids in Danger?

As a parent in Chandler, Arizona, it's hard not to cringe when I walk my child to school at the end of July and realize he will spend 40+ minutes outdoors in a high or extreme UV index heat. With many Arizona schools following a modified year-round school calendar, most kids are heading back to school in July and August while the temperatures and UV ratings are still at extreme levels (average UV index in August in Chandler is a 10).

While some parents are vigilant about applying sunscreen before kids head off to school, most kids are not reminded to wear sun hats, sunglasses or re-apply sunscreen before they head out to the playground. Most new schools are not built with shade as a high priority, leaving many playgrounds out in the direct sunlight.

With a high percentage of sun damage estimated to occur during childhood and the incidences of skin cancer growing drastically, does it make sense to send our children outside during extreme UV heat index? If the weather was extremely cold, many schools would keep the children indoors or find alternatives to outside recess and P.E. Shouldn't we do the same for extreme heat?

Many parents and teachers may argue (and they would also be correct) that recess is a vital part of a child's schoolday. Children need the exercise, free play time and socialization. What are the alternatives?

The Center for Disease Control has released many tips for parents and school administrators regarding sun safety . Some of these tips include:

• sun safety education to teachers and students
• scheduling outdoor activities around the hottest times of the day (is this possible?)
• making sunscreen application and hat and sunglasses a routine part of outdoor preparation
• sending children to school in sun protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats

Since Arizona is 2nd in the world (after Australia) for skin cancer incidences and children are back in school earlier then years ago, I would love to see this issue addressed seriously and immediately.

For more information on helping your child's school become more sun safe, please get vocal with your school district and visit the SunWise website to see how to help enforce Arizona's mandatory sun safety education in schools.

Sun Smart Swimmers Damaging the Ocean

It seems that with so much information available these days, we are more aware of how every action we take impacts our health or the health of the environment. Often, it feels impossible to do anything "right". Now, a recent study shows that even doing something as important and simple as protecting your skin from the harsh UVA/UVB sun rays by using sunscreen can have a devasting impact on the surrounding coral reefs.

According to an article on National Geographic.com , a recent study in the journal Environmental Health Perspective found the four common chemicals in most sunscreens "awaken dormant viruses" in the algae that live inside reef-building coral species. The sunscreen chemicals cause the viruses to replicate and eventually spread into neighboring coral communities. Without the healthy algae, the coral 'bleaches'—turns white—and dies."

The researchers in the above mentioned study estimate that 4000-6000 metric tons of sunscreen washes off swimmers worldwide each year. The good news is that means more people are consciously protecting themselves from the sun. The bad news is it potentially can be harming 10% of the coral reefs worldwide.

What can a person do to continue to protect themselves from the UVA/UVB sun rays, therefore lessening their chances of developing skin cancer and premature aging, while still protecting the oceans that they swim in?

• One easy solution is to purchase UPF 50+ sun protective swimsuits and rashguard shirts. These provide more reliable protection from the sun because they don't wash off like sunscreen. In addition, they lessen the chemicals you would be exposing your skin to, as well as exposing to the coral reefs.


• For the areas that are not covered with UPF 50+ sun protective clothes, study leader Roberto Danovaro (of the Polytechnic University of Marche in Italy) says to use sunscreens with physical filters, which reflect instead of absorb ultraviolet radiation and use eco-friendly chemical sunscreens.

So, enjoy your beach vacation with a clean conscious and healthy skin!