Sunscreen Protection

I just came across this very interesting article written by Brian Guadagno about sunscreen. As a lifeguard during the summers this is extremely important and I'd thought you'd ought to know this information as well.

What I didn't know was that UVA protection is not regulated by the FDA, only UVB protection. UVA is the SPF number on the bottle. That means that the SPF and UVA protection could potentially be misleading to consumers.

I usually use a mixture of regular sunscreen (Nuetrogena) and zinc products (usually Headhunter). Works well everytime, although when you're in the sun as much as I am, you still get burned because you don't always remember to apply more sunscreen.

When you start using zinc, it's funny becuase you can start "painting your face."

Exerpt from the sunscreen article I found:

"How To Choose Sunscreen Effectively
1. Choose Broad Spectrum UVA Protection. Don’t let the term “Broad Spectrum” on the label make the sale. Look deeper. There are 18 FDA approved active ingredients in sunscreen that provide protection. While many of these offer UVB protection, only four offer UVA protection. Look for UVA active ingredients: Avobenzone (Parsol), Mexoryl SX, Titanium Dioxide, and Zinc Oxide. Of these four, Zinc Oxide is the only single, broad spectrum active. Zinc Oxide physically blocks the entire range of UVA & UVB. Look for Zinc Oxide percentages to be over 18%.
2. Use SPF 30(+), beware lower or higher numbers. It is a widely accepted that SPF 30 is the benchmark needed to provide adequate UVB protection. In controlled testing, SPF 30 sunscreens filter 97% of UVB rays while SPF 50 only filters 1% more at 98% and SPF 100 would only offer 2% more at 99%. In real life applications, it is very unlikely that filtering more than 97% of UVB rays is plausible. Furthermore, extremely high SPF claims may provide a false sense of security while possibly doubling the amount of chemicals needed in the formulas.
3. Choose “Very Water Resistant,” a proven track record, and use caution with spray on products. The term Very Water Resistant is regulated by the FDA. It represents a sunscreen’s ability to remain effective after 80 minutes exposed to water, while Water Resistant refers to 40 minutes. Waterproof and All Day Protection claims are misleading. A product that is Very Water Resistant will likely offer better sweat resistance. Ultimately, a Very Water Resistant sunscreen that has performed well for you in the past is a wise choice in the future. Use caution with spray or powder sunscreens, the applicators expel excess amounts of chemical ingredients which may be inhaled and pose a potential safety hazard."

There it still a lot more useful information in this article so check it out.