The rate of skin cancer diagnoses among Americans has jumped by nearly a third and the melanoma incidence rate is up 159 percent! A variety of factors have likely contributed to that spike, including tanning fads, poor-quality sunscreens and general skin care laziness.
As the sun beats down during the summer months, it’s important to protect your skin with an effective sunscreen. But with so many options on the market, it can be difficult to know what to buy. The choices can be overwhelming: sprays, gels and creams, all with SPF values ranging from 15 to 100 and with a long list of chemical ingredients that seem like a foreign language.
Here’s what you need to know to pick the best sunscreen for you and your family but before that, here are a few tips to protect yourself from sun damage:
• Avoid prolonged sun exposure between 11a.m. and 4p.m.
• Wear wide-brim hats, and clothes that cover you up.
• Do not forget about your eyes! Always wear sunglasses
• Re-apply sunscreen after swimming or heavy perspiration.
• Do not confuse temperature and UV! UV rays can be damaging to the skin, even if it’s cloudy or cold out.
Understanding SPF and UV Radiation
Sunscreens are rated by their sun protection factor (SPF), which measures their ability to block out UVB radiation. Though sunscreens with an SPF of up to 100 are now available, Health Canada says they don’t provide as much protection as you’d think. For example, SPF 15 sunscreen blocks 93 per cent of UVB rays, whereas, SPF 30 only provides an additional 4 per cent protection. So don’t worry about splurging for the bottle with the higher SPF, but make sure it’s at least 30, says the Canadian Dermatology Association.
Victoria Hudec, an outreach officer at Environment Canada, points out that there are two other types of UV radiation: UVA and UVC. UVC doesn’t reach the Earth because the atmosphere filters it out, but UVA does hit us, and has a number of harmful effects.
Long-term exposure of UVA can also prematurely age and wrinkle skin, says Hudec. Long-term exposure to UVB can cause skin cancer and eye cataracts, and both UVA and UVB rays cause sunburn.
Label checklist
Look for the following to make sure you’re getting proper skin protection:
• A CDA logo, which means the sunscreen has been evaluated and has met the guidelines of the Canadian Dermatology Association.
• A Drug Identification Number (DIN) or Natural Health Product Number (NPN) ensures the sunscreen is approved by Health Canada.
• An SPF of at least 30 for UVB protection.
• The words broad spectrum.
• Zinc oxide – Dr. Rivers says this is a safe substance that offers both UVA and UVB protection.
• A UVA blocker*
So far, my favourite sunscreens for children and adults have been from Green Beaver and Alba Botanica, which are relatively fairly priced considering they are more natural and safer to use.
*Adapted from the Canadian Living Magazine
By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.