Aubrey Organics Article: A Sunscreen Update from the Sun Exposure Capital of the World, from Healthy Living
Helen Lawton-French remembers the days of sunshine spent on Australian beaches in her quest to attain a perfect tan. But some two years ago, after two decades of sun worshipping, Ms. Lawton-French, 36, had a potentially life-threatening skin cancer, or melanoma, cut out of her wrist and now lives with the fear the cancer could reemerge elsewhere in her body. She is paying the price for 20 years of sun damage.
Now, recent research from Australia indicates there is more to choosing sunscreens than simply looking at their sun protection factor (SPF). Indeed, focus on finding sunscreens with the most powerful SPFs may well have distracted consumers from other attributes that they should be seeking in sunscreen products.
Beyond SPFs
When you look at an SPF and it says 30 or 45, that provides only an indication of the amount of ultraviolet B (UVB) protection the product offers. But, the sun's longer ultraviolet A (UVA) rays are now thought to deeply penetrate the skin and cause even more damage than previously suspected. Unfortunately, the SPF doesn't provide any indication of the amount of UVA protection that a sunscreen provides.
This message was brought home recently when Australian and U.S. researchers discovered UVA radiation is not only responsible for the sun's aging effects but also plays a significant role in causing skin cancer.
In fact, the false confidence inspired by use of UVB-blocking sunscreens now appears to be the reason that UVA-related skin damage is appearing in the Australian population, according to Dr. Nita Agar from the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research Institute at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The findings of Dr. Agar's team were published in the March 23, 2004 online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Meanwhile, in the United States, during the last decade, the number of cases of melanoma has increased more rapidly than that of any other form of cancer, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation of New York. More than 51,000 new cases are reported to the American Cancer Society each year. That's alarming enough, but experts say many more cases go undetected.
Although scientists have known UVA radiation penetrates the skin more deeply than UVB, they thought that UVA photons were less likely to be absorbed by the DNA and cause critical mutations. In fact, UVA radiation has the longest wavelength but least energy of all solar UV radiation. So, UVA was thought to be less carcinogenic. On the other hand, in contrast to UVB radiation, UVA levels in the solar spectrum vary only slightly with difference in latitude, time of day, weather and season. Thus, there is constantly greater exposure to large amounts of UVA radiation during the entire year. Substantial doses can be accumulated in the course of a lifetime.
In the latest study, when the researchers looked at the effects of UVA and UVB on the DNA from two types of skin cancer cells, they found that UVA caused more mutations in a critical part of the skin than previously thought. Most of the UVA mutations were in cancerous cells found in the same part of the skin where stem cells occur, the basal keratinocytic layer. By contrast, most UVB mutations were found in cells from a more superficial layer of skin.
This finding has profound implications on public health worldwide, as researchers had previously stressed UVB as the cancer-causing part of the spectrum.
Another important aspect of UVA radiation is that it is the cause of solar elastosis (formation of wrinkles due to photo-aging). Long-term photo-aging can also lead to an impaired production of collagen fibers, meaning that the skin finally loses its elasticity. Effective protection of the skin against UVA radiation is thus a major instrument in preserving the youthfulness of the skin.
So, don't just look at SPF anymore. Be sure your sunscreen products contain both UVA and UVB blockers.
For Natural UVA Protection...
Titanium dioxide, which is considered to be a natural physical barrier type sunscreen, is thought to provide total protection with broad-spectrum blocking capabilities that include UVA, UVB and UVC radiation. For anyone concerned with total protection, use of this mineral shield should be part of your cosmetics, skin lotions and, of course, sunscreen.
Because it is inorganic and inert, it is also least reactive to other kinds of cosmetic ingredients. This inorganic nature also reduces the potential for allergic reactions, a common problem with sunscreen usage.
More Sunscreen Shopping Tips
There are two other key factors that you should be seeking in sunscreens. One is the addition of natural sun protectors and the other is the absence of potentially harmful and unnecessary ingredients or contaminants.
Natural Protectors
Green tea may be able to prevent skin cancer when applied to your skin, according to Zigang Dong, M.D., and colleagues at the University of Minnesota. According to findings presented in 2003 at the American Chemical Society annual meeting in New York, a protein called JNK-2 appears to be directly related to the development of skin cancer. This protein can be blocked by the application of green tea polyphenols. After the skin is exposed to UV light, levels of this protein rise and remain high. So be sure your skin care products contain green tea.
Sea buckthorn is primarily grown in Eastern Europe and China and dates back to ancient Greek times, and this remarkable plant is a powerful medicine for countering the major causes of premature skin aging. Because of its ability to repair and rejuvenate skin, sea buckthorn has become the herb of choice in many hair and skin formulas in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and China.
Almost nothing compares to sea buckthorn for its antioxidant powers and dual ability to quell internal inflammation. Perhaps most intriguing (and important), nature's rarified omega-7 fatty acids (e.g., palmitoleic acid, a type of oil) are found almost exclusively in this plant and none other throughout the world. The strong antioxidative activity of sea buckthorn's omega-7 oils is due to the high content of tocopherols, tocotrienols and carotenoids. All the natural isomers of vitamin E are present in sea buckthorn oils, as are the major antioxidant vitamins, including carotenes (like beta-carotene), vitamin C and all of the tocopherols (vitamin E).
Working synergistically, vitamin E and carotenoids present in sea buckthorn's omega-7s protect lipids and membrane structure from UV radiation and free radical damage, and normalize the body's inflammatory pathways.
These three benefits result in a general regenerating effect for skin-from the inside out.
Rosa Mosqueta® is a rose hip seed oil rich in retinoic acid. A derivative of retinol or vitamin A, many readers will recognize its synthetic counterpart, tretinoin, a topical pharmaceutical drug used against premature wrinkling. As with tretinoin, which has been thoroughly researched for over 30 years, Rosa Mosqueta has impressive skin rejuvenation properties but without the complications.
Canadian willowherb, found mainly in Canada's northern forests, has been shown to have an excellent ability to reduce sunburn-related redness.
Aloe vera is a desert herb with remarkable and scientifically documented skin-healing qualities. Vitamin C is another important topical nutrient for reducing sunburn-related redness and quenching free radical damage that can lead to skin aging as well as skin cancer. Topical vitamin C also stimulates collagen production. But be sure your topical vitamin C is shelf-stable (like Ester-C®) to retain its potency.
Vitamin E not only reduces wrinkling and leathering but has also shown potential for reducing risk of UV-induced skin cancer, especially when used with vitamin C.
How to Make a Smart Sunscreen Choice
Unfortunately, most sunscreen products today contain few, if any, of these additional protectors, while they often contain undesirable ingredients. For example, although Coppertone® Shade and Neutrogena® Sunblock products block UVA/UVB radiation, they also contain triethanolamine (which can cause formation of undisclosed cancer-causing nitrosamines in some products) and methylparaben, a preservative now known to imitate the effects of the female hormone estrogen.
For those consumers who seek excellent protection and demand the highest quality, Aubrey Organics produces one of the very best lines of all-natural sunscreens. Not only do their sunscreen products avoid use of suspect ingredients, they combine UVA-protective titanium dioxide with Padimate O for a full-spectrum blocking effect. In addition, these products contain much higher amounts of powerful skin protecting herbs and nutrients.
Our Healthy Living #1 Natural Skin Care Choice
One of America's favorite natural sunscreen products (for people of all ages) is Aubrey's Green Tea Sunblock. Although originally created for the sensitive skin needs of children, many adults have come to love this product. Its SPF is a respectable 25 with both titanium dioxide and Padimate O. Plus it provides green tea and Canadian willowherb (an anti-inflammatory), and vitamins C and E.
Titania Full Spectrum Sunblock is an SPF 25 formula that, as the name states, blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
As a moisturizing booster or when you have gotten too much sun, try using Sea Buckthorn with Ester-C® Rejuvenating Antioxidant Serum. Sea buckthorn is a wonderful skin healing herb, rich with key essential fatty acids.
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(Resources: the above information was taken from the www.aubrey-organics.com website)
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