Sunscreen myths

Sunscreen Myths and Misunderstandings

Here’s a summertime sunscreen pop quiz:

(1) Once applied, how long does it take sunscreen to thoroughly penetrate the skin to begin protection from UVB rays?

2) Once protection begins, how long does protection last when using sunscreen lotion with 30 SPF (sun protection factor)?

3) Does waterproof sunscreen wash off when you go in the water?

4) Does sunscreen prevent your skin from converting sunlight into vitamin D?

The answers to these questions (along with a look at a new sunscreen ingredient) just might revolutionize the way you think about sunscreen products.

That burning sensation

“The snake oil of the 21st Century.”

That’s how New York attorney Sam Rudman refers to sunscreen. But Mr. Rudman isn’t exactly a disinterested party. He’s one of several lawyers involved in a lawsuit against five major sunscreen marketers. According to the suit, sunscreen customers have been misled by false labeling and advertising and should be awarded restitution.

The answers to the four questions above will give you an idea of how Mr. Rudman and his clients believe we’ve all been mislead. (This information comes from a New York Post article about the lawsuit.)

Answers:

1) Sunscreen protection begins about one hour after lotion has been applied

2) Dr. Albert Lefkovits, a New York dermatologist, told the Post that “in general” an SPF 15 sunscreen provides 15 minutes of protection, while an SPF 30 gives about 30 minutes of protection

3) “Waterproof” sunscreen comes off in water

4) Dermatologists and scientists have still not been able to determine if sunscreen interferes with the skin’s production of vitamin D from sunlight exposure

Sinking in

Protection is the key issue in the lawsuit against sunscreen manufacturers.

A recent ABC News report featured Helioplex, a new sunscreen ingredient that’s being hailed as an important advance because it apparently does something that sunscreen products we’ve been using for years don’t d it screens out UVA rays. Your sunscreen from last summer may do a fairly good job of screening UVB rays that cause sunburn, but it won’t give much protection at all from UVA rays that can trigger DNA damage and skin cancer.

Time will tell if Helioplex offers true protection or just more hype. In the meantime, you can curb UVA damage by limiting sunlight exposure and then making sure you’re getting plenty of the nutrients that Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., calls the “DNA Repair Group.”

In his Nutrition & Healing newsletter (June 2002), Dr. Wright discussed the foods and supplements that everyone (and especially those who get a lot of sun exposure) should be consuming in abundance.

Vitamins C and E are very important to relieving stress to the skin. But according to Dr. Wright, folic acid deficiency is “a major contributor to skin cancer risk.” He says, “Folic acid is destroyed rapidly by heat, cold, and exposure to light, including sunlight. So it’s sunlight’s destructive effect on folic acid in the skin, not the actual sun exposure itself, that accounts for a significant part of the skin cancer problem. Folic acid (along with vitamin B12 and zinc) is absolutely key to DNA reproduction and repair.”

The best dietary sources of folic acid include spinach and other dark green vegetables, brewers yeast, lima beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, wheat germ, and liver from organically raised animals. In addition, Dr. Wright suggests supplementing with 1,000 mcg of folic acid daily, and even more if you spend a good amount of time in the sun or have a family history of skin cancer.

Sources:

“Smear Campaign” Jennifer Gould Keil, New York Post, 5/16/06, nyupost.com
“Some Dermatologists See a Sunscreen Revolution” Jeffrey Kofman, ABC News, 5/19/06, abcnews.go.com