All Day Protection, Not Possible

I still, in summer, frequently hear people who are convinced that they are getting the best protection with an ‘all-day’ sun cream. I have a very different view about this and, to my great delight, so too does the English Which? This consumers’ platform recently published an article about ‘once a day’ sun creams. Extensive testing proved once again that these products were unable to fulfil their promises. After 6 to 8 hours the SPF of the creams was reduced by an average of 74%. A factor 30 quickly decreased to no more than a factor 8. And we haven’t even mentioned the UVA protection yet!

SPF declines rapidly
In Europe or Australia it can no longer be claimed that a sun cream product can give all day protection. Because it cannot; the degree of protection depends on your skin type and what you are doing. Sweating, swimming or, for example, rubbing against a towel or sun bed can especially reduce the SPF. And the manufacturers know that too, judging by the information and fine print on their websites. But unfortunately, it is less clearly displayed on their products.
Moreover, a long lasting performance by the UVB filter says nothing about the performance of the UVA filter. And the latter is just as important. In some ‘all day’ products the UVA protection is even very inadequate.

Convincing claims

A scan of the internet suggests that products offering ‘long lasting’ protection, or even that will protect ‘all day’, are available everywhere. The same applies to bottles that you have to apply just ‘once a day’. Alongside this, the explanation with these claims is very convincing.

Nano-technology is often used. The sun filters are added in extremely small particles so that they can penetrate deeper into the skin. We also see the smart adoption of the controlled release principle, as we know from medicine. By packing the filters and other active ingredients into special liposomes these substances can penetrate more deeply into the skin layer where the dose can be released.

Nano-technology and liposomes
Even though nano-technology and liposomes offer interesting possibilities in the cosmetics world, there is also a greater chance that the substances are taken up in the body. There is a risk of breathing in nano particles in sprays. Although, in Europe, there are strict rules for the ingredients used in products, the United States falls behind on this point. In America there are a lot of good and safe sun cream filters which have not yet been through the strict safety procedures, so poor sun filters which are not very stable are still being used, and these pass into the body more rapidly, provide less UVA protection and cause more skin problems.

Regular application, even with an all-day product
The biggest drawback of the so-called long lasting sun creams is the false sense of security that they give you. Consumers will end up not using these products enough, is the conclusion of British Dermatologists and cancer specialists in response to the research by Which? Regular application always provides the best protection against the sun. If you do decide to use an all-day product apply it regularly every two hours on a sunny day.

Kind regards,

Jetske

Research Physician Cosmetic Dermatology

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