10 Healthcare Innovations Beauty


The science of sun protection I


Water sunscreen, SPF 100 and powder protection: are these innovations or marketing gimmicks? We talk to a dermatologist and cosmetic chemist to find out. Words: Mattie Lacey-Davidson


Promotional Content • Saturday 3 July 2021


f you had a childhood like mine, sunscreen will evoke memories of smelly, sticky white liquid forcibly smeared all over you —


a necessity for a pale, freckly child. But today’s sunscreens are very different. Tere are ‘water’ formulations and easy-to-apply sprays and powders, with some even claiming to have an SPF of 100. But are they as effective as the old-fashioned white stuff?


The science of SPF 100 Te sun protection factor (SPF) is a measure of protection from burning UVB rays. For UVA — which tans but also accelerates ageing due to skin cell damage — look for ‘broad spectrum’ or the five-star European rating. SPF is supposed to tell you how


long you can safely spend in the sun. For example, if you can manage 10 minutes in the sun before you burn, an SPF 30 sunscreen should mean you can safely multiply the time by 30 — meaning five hours in the sun. Sounds simple until you realise


we’re not all the same — some of us take longer to burn than others, calling into question the effectiveness of these numbers. And in any case, sunscreen should be applied every two hours to ensure full and continued coverage. So that SPF 100 bottle isn’t going to last any longer than an SPF 50, because they require the same amount of applications. Dr Ross Perry, the medical director


PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY


of Cosmedics skin clinics and a skin cancer reconstruction surgeon, is wary of such products: “I’m sure we’ll


see higher SPFs hitting the shelves in the UK, and this will be confusing for consumers who believe it offers way more protection, when the fact is it’s very minimal,” he warns. Chartered scientist and cosmetic


chemist Bruce Green, founder of UK skincare brand SOS Serum, warns that the high number of chemicals needed to reach SPF 100 could also trigger an allergic reaction in some people. So, the science implies SPF 100 is


more of a gimmick — so much so that around the world it’s being restricted. Currently, in the Asian and Australian markets, the highest SPF rating allowed is 50+ and Bruce tells me: “Te FDA is looking at prohibiting claims of over SPF 50, stating that users are given a false sense of security.”


New product protection Now that we know proper and repeated application is fundamental, we need to find out whether new product formulations can give the protection we want. Water sunscreens, sprays or powders


can do the job when applied properly, but that isn’t always easy, says Dr Ross. “Sheer products don’t really give us an indication of any areas we may have missed,” he warns. Also, while powders are good for a touch-up on your face, he doesn’t think they’re practical for the whole body. As Bruce says: “Tey’re just packaging variants — there’s nothing wrong with that, but they must be applied uniformly, liberally and regularly to make the most of the cosmetic chemist innovation.”


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