sunscreen

The How’s and What’s of Sun Protection

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The best way to defend your skin from damage and long term skin issues is to protect your skin early and often from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. The most common sun protection method is using a quality sunscreen.t is recommended in a sunscreen?

  • At least SPF 30 (although going above that doesn’t offer much greater protection)
  • Broad spectrum meaning the sunscreen covers both UVA and UVB rays
  • Water resistant is preferable. This is especially important for water exposure or sweating.

How much sunscreen should be applied?

One fluid ounce (enough to fill a shot glass) is the amount generally considered enough to cover exposed body areas, although this varies based on a person’s body size. It is important to apply and rub in to all exposed body areas.

How often to reapply?

Sunscreen should be initially applied 20 minutes before sun exposure and reapplied at least every two hours under “dry conditions” (no contact with water and not sweating).

No sunscreen is truly waterPROOF or sweatPROOF; the sunscreen may be water/sweat RESISTANT. These types of sunscreens work best when applied before getting wet (before being in water or prior to getting sweaty) and should be reapplied every 40-80 minutes if getting wet from water or sweat.

If you are using bug spray, the sunscreen should be applied first, followed by the bug spray; it is best to avoid sunscreen/bug spray combination products because they have different reapplication schedules.

What are the differences between the different sunscreen types – chemical vs. barrier?

Chemical sunscreens (such as oxybenzone) are very popular and work by absorbing and filtering harmful UV radiation from penetrating the skin. This sunscreen type is often colorless and remains as a thin layer on the skin.

Barrier, or physical, sunblocks (such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide) physically block harmful UV rays from reaching the skin. Barrier sunblock can provide high protection from thsunscreene sun, but a quantitative SPF is difficult to specify. This sunscreen type is more common in formulations for babies because chemical sunscreens can sometimes irritate babies’ skin. Some folks find this sunscreen unfavorable because it does not rub in as well as chemical sunscreens (nor is it supposed to rub in as well in order to function properly!). There are colorful options that can be fun, or you can go for the nose-specific “Dad style” of barrier sunblock application modeled below by The ‘Hoff:

What about parts of my body I can’t apply sunscreen to?

Protect your eyes! Look for sunglasses that promote UV400 protection; these filter out 99.9% of UVA and UVB rays. Lips are not immune to the sun’s rays either; use a lip balm that has SPF protection too.

What about clothing with UV protection?

UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) is similar to SPF in that it is a quantitative system used to describe how much UV protection clothing provides. For reference, most clothing typically has a UPF of ~6, while most sun protective fabrics have a UPF of 30 and others can exceed a UPF of 50! These are great options if you are going to be outside on a boat all day or doing other activities where applying/reapplying sunscreen may be difficult.

What else am I forgetting about sunscreen?

  • Check expiration dates! Yes, sunscreen can expire, and when it does, you will be frustrated and burnt. Expiration date locations on products vary, so be sure to look over bottles before applying! See below for examples of expiration date locations:expiration
  • Apply on cloudy and cold days This is especially important to note for your face when skiing; the white snow can reflect the sun’s rays back up to your face to intensify the damage.
  • Don’t forget the tops of your feet; take off those flip flops when applying sunscreen.
  • Scalps can and do burn. To my fellow short-haired folks: rub in sunscreen to the scalp. If you part your hair, apply sunscreen to the exposed line. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat is a good option or addition for head/scalp sun protection.
  • There are also several makeup brands/products that contain SPF. Give these options a try to protect yourself from your daily excursions into the sun’s harmful rays.

How to treat/manage sunburn if the steps above are not followed?

  • Take cool baths/showers.
  • Apply moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy to soothe burned areas. You may also apply a thin layer of OTC hydrocortisone to particularly uncomfortable areas to help with redness, itchiness, and inflammation. (Note: do not use hydrocortisone on large areas of the body, not for more than 4 times per day, and not for longer than 2 consecutive weeks.)
  • Drink extra fluids. Water is preferred; alcoholic and caffeinated beverages can actually cause further dehydration.
  • If appropriate, you can also take over-the-counter NSAIDs (ibuprofen or naproxen) to help with pain and reduce inflammation. Be sure to take NSAIDs with food, plenty of fluids, and as directed by the package or your healthcare provider. If you are taking any other medications, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider to ensure NSAIDs are safe for you to use.
  • Avoid using products that end in “-caine” (such as benzocaine).
  • If your sunburn forms into blisters, do NOT pop the blisters! The blisters are there to aid skin healing and protect against infections.
  • If the sunburn is over a large surface area of your body, or if you are worried an infection has set in, see your healthcare provider to see if prescription medications are warranted.

Can some medications that can enhance sunburn possibility?

Yes! Several medications can enhance sunlight sensitivity of your skin. Check medication labels and/or ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider if medications you take can cause increased risk of sunburn. Examples of common medications that can have this side effect include:  Tetracyclines (e.g., doxycycline, minocycline); Thiazides (e.g., HCTZ); Sulfonamides (e.g., sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim); Phenothiazines (e.g., promethazine); Quinolones (e.g., ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin). If you are taking any of these medications, be sure to take special care of your skin by wearing sun-protective clothing and reapplying sunscreen with any sun exposure for the entire duration you take the medication and even a few days after your last dose.HHS Sunscreen

Be sure to look for SPF 30+ products available at the Health Heels Shoppe in the basement of UNC Campus Health Services (see photo below) and at the Pit Stop at UNC Student Stores for your sun protection needs.

 

 

John Taylor Schimmelfing is a Pharmacist at Campus Health Services. John graduated from Elon before obtaining his PharmD from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. He also happens to be a National, World and Junior Olympic jump rope champion, which clearly qualifies him as an expert on all things jump rope related such as whether jump rope is two words or one (it’s two!). 

Sources:  American Academy of Dermatology; American Melanoma Foundation

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: What Does the SPF Number on Your Sunscreen Actually Mean?

uncchsmedia1 Comment

This blog post was written by Emily Wheeler and is published as part of our blog exchange with Tar Heel Tone-Up.

This week, we’ve seen three 80º F days in a row and one incredible thunderstorm early Thursday morning! You know what that means: North Carolina is racing through spring into our unpredictable, hot, and randomly stormy summer weather!

With the reemergence of plenty of beautiful sun, it’s time to start stocking up on sunscreen again! When you’re standing there in an aisle of literally over a hundred different types of sunscreen, it’s difficult to know what all of the different claims on all of the different bottles actually means! Here are a few tips on how to understand what different sunscreen lingo means so that you’ll have an easier time deciding!

sunburned

“Sunburned” by Erin Stevenson O’Connor of Flickr Creative Commons

  • SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. Theoretically, this number is supposed to mean that the sunscreen will protect your from burning that many times longer than you can normally stay out in the sun without protection before you begin to burn. Example: If I can only stay outside for 10 minutes without burning, SPF 30 sunscreen is theoretically supposed to keep me from burning for 300 minutes. I say theoretically because this would happen under perfect conditions. In real life conditions, if you’re sweating, swimming, or just moving around a lot in a way that might cause any friction against your skin from clothes, you’re losing sunscreen protection and it might not last for the entire 300 minutes. A good rule of thumb is to reapply every 2 hours no matter what the SPF says! SPF is not a measure of how well the sunscreen will protect you, but rather how long the protection will last under ideal conditions.

Fun fact: SPF ratings were introduced in 1962. Apparently, they were determined in the lab by gathering up 20 people with sensitive skin, measuring the amount of UV rays it took for them to burn without sunscreen, and then repeating the test with them wearing sunscreen. If that was really the case, there is no way that this process continues today because it would be considered unethical since even a single sunburn is known to increase your risk of skin cancer over your lifetime.

  • “Broad spectrum” indicates that the sunscreen is protective against both UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays cause the visible red sunburns, so all sunscreens contain UVB protection. However, UVA rays can cause dangerous skin damage that can lead to cancer and wrinkles, so you’ll want a sunscreen that protects against both! If the bottle doesn’t specifically say “broad spectrum” or UVA/UVB protection, you can probably assume that it only contains UVB protection and they don’t want you to notice.
  • Even if they do not specifically mention UVA or broad-spectrum protection, look for zinc oxide and titanium dioxide on the “active ingredients” list. These also indicate protection against UVA rays! These ingredients are also included in many “sensitive skin” sunscreens, yet they still cause skin reactions in some people. However, they are approved for safe use and sometimes it just takes multiple brand attempts to find a sunscreen that works best with your skin.
  • Most lab tests of sunscreen use a much greater amount than the typical sunscreen-wearing beach-goer wears! You should be using about an entire ounce of sunscreen every time you reapply, which could be up to 4 or more ounces a day! Don’t skimp and buy a single 8 oz. bottle of sunscreen and then head to the beach for a week; sunscreen is cheaper than cancer treatment!
  • If you have a family history of skin cancer or you take medications containing retinol (a form of vitamin A often used in acne medications), you are at an increased risk for skin cancer and adverse effects to sun exposure, such as excessive burning even with sunscreen use. Talk to your prescribing doctor about safe sun exposure and try to take advantage of trees and umbrellas for shade! (And of course, be especially obsessive about your sunscreen use and reapplication).
  • Ladies: don’t want to mess up your makeup by applying sunscreen over it at the beach? You can (1) apply sunscreen to your face and let it dry before you put on makeup, (2) choose a foundation, liquid or powder, that contains at least a 15 SPF sunscreen because many brands make these now, (3) buy a tinted sunscreen that essentially works like makeup when you put it on! These would be found in the make-up aisle rather than the sunscreen aisle and are sold under various brand names.
  • While you’re in that sunscreen aisle, don’t forget that your lips count as skin, too! Buy a tube of lip balm with sunscreen (such as Carmex) to protect your lips to keep them from getting irritated, peeling and cracking, and encouraging the appearance of fever blisters if you already get them occasionally.
  • Finally, don’t forget that your scalp counts as skin, as well! For men with short hair or women with part lines in their hair, you’ll need to protect your scalp from burning with a sprayable liquid scalp sunscreen (called “scalp-screen”) or a hat!
  • So you’re not planning on going to the beach? What about biking, walking outside, or sitting on the quad? If you’re going to be outside for more than ten minutes, you need sunscreen!

My family and friends always shake their heads or chuckle at me when I’ve spent a lot of time outside one day and I look down at the end of the day and say “Oh no! I’m getting tan lines!” In the U.S. today, media has encouraged the notion that tanned, bronze skin is beautiful skin, and many people see their tan lines as a small victory that has fulfilled their purpose of a day at the beach. I, on the other hand, see tanned skin as damaged skin (and the CDC and majority of dermatologists seem to agree with me these days.) I’ll continue to slather my high SPF sunscreen onto my fair, freckled skin every couple of hours because I like my skin the way it is and I would rather be fair-skinned and skin-cancer-and-wrinkle-free than tan and worried about the consequences that might come from my sun exposure later in life.

1966 Ad, Solarcaine Spray,

You know what else stops sunburn pain? Not getting sunburned.

Also, it’s important to remember that even if you have dark skin and you don’t feel like you have to worry about tan lines or sunburn, the UVA/UVB rays still have the same damaging effects on your skin over time as they do on people with lighter skin! This means that you should be wearing sunscreen no matter what your skin looks like!

My favorite is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer® Dry-Touch Broad Spectrum sunscreen; it doesn’t smell like much and it dries on your skin and doesn’t leave you feeling so icky and greasy! I also like the Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunscreen to prevent clogged pores and breakouts and the Neutrogena Pure & Free® Baby Faces Ultra Gentle Broad Spectrum sunscreen because typically any brand of baby sunscreen tends to have a higher SPF and is well-suited for sensitive skin that might react to other types of sunscreen. (I’m not advertising, but as you may have already assumed, I’ve tried many different types of sunscreen and I’ve stuck with the Neutrogena line for a couple of years now because it’s always worked great for me!)

Sunscreen

“Sunscreen” by Joe Shlabotnik of Flickr Creative Commons

Disclaimer: Some sunscreens work great on some people’s skin and really irritate other people’s skin! What works for me might not work for you, so I suggest that you do what I did and buy small bottle of several different brands next time you go to the beach so that you can try them all out and decide which is your favorite! Once you decide, then you go to Sam’s, Costco, or Wal-Mart and stock up on that bulk sized discount! J

Sources:

Jeffries, Melissa.  “What do SPF numbers mean?”  16 August 2007.  HowStuffWorks.com.http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/sun-care/spf.htm  09 April, 2015.

Tachibana, Chris. “Probing Question: What does the SPF rating of sunscreen mean?” 1 June 2010. Penn State News. http://news.psu.edu/story/141338/2010/06/01/research/probing-question-what-does-spf-rating-sunscreen-mean 09 April, 2015.

The Best Sun Protection Plan for Rain or Shine. 5 April 2011. One Life, Make it Count: Aging Well. http://www.onemedical.com/blog/live-well/spring-has-sprung-the-best-spf-protection-plan-for-rain-or-shine/ 09 April 2015.

Sunscreen. Who needs it anyway?: Sun safety for people of color

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(“Splash” by The Eye of Vox, Flickr, Creative Commons)
(“Splash” by The Eye of Vox, Flickr, Creative Commons)

The summer is finally upon us. The closer we get to the end of the summer, the hotter it feels outside. No longer is it in-between jacket weather; it is undeniably sunny summer weather. During this time of year, it is very common to hear phrases like, “Don’t forget your sunscreen.” But what does that sentence mean for a person of color? Growing up as a Black woman, this bit of sun advice was almost always met with skepticism and regarded as sometimes irrelevant due to my beliefs about sun safety and the Black community.

During this time of year it is also common to hear statements like “You’ll be okay” if you don’t remember your sunscreen, or there simply isn’t even a conversation about buying or using sunscreen. Statements like the former or lack thereof are partially due to the myths surrounding this topic, such as the myth that people of color don’t need to use sunscreen or that people of color don’t get sunburned. Actually, the amount of melanin or dark pigmentation in skin serves as an inherent protector against the sun’s rays. However, instead of turning red, darker skinned people tend to turn darker brown.

Below are some fast facts about sun safety and people of color:
                                                                 

                                                                 Risk of Skin Cancer

• African American skin has been found to have an inherent sun protective factor (SPF) of about 13.4 in comparison to 3.4 in white skin. This factor contributes to the fact that skin cancer is diagnosed less often in African Americans, as well as in Asians and Latinos, than in whites. However, when skin cancer is diagnosed in people of color it tends to be within the later stages of skin cancer, which makes mortality rates disproportionately higher.

• Melanoma is often found in places of the skin that are less often exposed and have less pigmentation. For African Americans, Asians, Filipinos, Indonesians, and native Hawaiians, 60-75 percent of tumors related to melanoma have been found on the palms, soles, mucous membranes and nail regions.

• Risk factors in minorities for melanoma other than the sun include: burn scars, albinism, trauma, preexisting moles, radiation therapy and immunosuppression.

                                                             SPF Recommendations

• The FDA has suggested that brands that promise very high SPF levels such as 50+ have been found to be misleading and the high level of SPF is not necessary.

• Vitamin A in sunscreen can lead to development of tumors when in the sun. Instead, look for sunscreens that contain zinc, titanium dioxide, avobenzone or Mexoryl S.

• Choosing an SPF level can be difficult. Darker skin does not require the highest level of SPF. Regardless of skin tone, an SPF of 15 at minimum is suggested, reapplying every 2 hours when in direct sun.

• Be sure to check out the 2015 Guide to Sunscreens for info about different sunscreen brands and sunscreen recommendations for people of color.

So before basking in the sun’s glory, be sure to grab your sunscreen — regardless of your skin tone!

Sunburn and Your Skin (OUCH!)

Sarah Weller Pegna2 Comments

Here it is! The requisite summer blog on sunscreen! There is something about the summer heat that just makes my wellness brain say, “You know Sarah, you should write a blog on sunscreen.” So, okay wellness brain, here we go…

Doing a little digging, blogger Dave wrote an amazing blog on sunscreen last year. In it he covers SPF, reapplication, expiration dates, cosmetics and hydration, complete with a  Jersey Shore clip. Clearly I can’t compete with that. So, if you have questions on  SPF, reapplication, expiration dates, cosmetics, hydration or the Jersey Shore, I highly suggest you check out Dave’s aptly named blog, Sunscreen (Complete with a Jersey Shore clip).

Instead, I decided to explore sunburn, i.e. the result of not wearing sunscreen. Continue reading →

Summer Health, Mythbuster Edition

Brittany O., MPH, CHESLeave a comment

It’s hot. It’s muggy. It’s summer.  As July flies by, many good people have passed on advice about ways to stay prime in the summertime.  But are some good-intentioned tips really old wives’ tales?  I looked up some common do’s and don’ts of summer health to see if they should be taken to heart or thrown out the window.

1.       True or false?  Scratching a mosquito bite will make it worse.

Continue reading →

Sunscreen (Complete with a Jersey Shore clip)

Dave2 Comments

Yup, it’s that time of year. School is almost out, the weather is turning warmer, and the beaches are sounding oh so nice. The moment is rapidly approaching when I will also receive my first sunburn of the new year. I never expect to get sunburned, but it always happens. I usually receive my first burn from playing sports longer than expected during the middle of the day without applying sunscreen. To be honest, sunscreen is one of the last things on my mind on a beautiful Spring day. I suppose my thinking is that because I am not putting on a skimpy swim suit and lying out on hot sand for hours on end, I do not need to protect myself. Additionally, since I become embarrassingly pale during the winter I don’t want anything to get in the way of my slightly darker summer complexion, even if that means suffering through a few minor burns.

Unfortunately, this darker completion can come at a costly price. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer the US. The Skin Cancer Foundation estimates that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer each year. In addition to the possibility of cancer, excessive unprotected sun exposure will age your skin much faster than normal. Don’t believe me? Hear it from the sun tanning pros on the Jersey Shore:

Tips from the CDC and Dave:

Use sunscreen. Sunscreens are assigned a sun protection factor (SPF) number that rates their effectiveness in blocking UV rays. Higher numbers indicate more protection. You should use a sunscreen with at least SPF 15.

“But Dave, SPF 15 doesn’t allow me to get tan enough.”

Dave: “We weren’t made to go 20 shades darker than our normal complexion.”

Reapplication. Sunscreen wears off. Put it on again if you stay out in the sun for more than two hours, and after you swim or do things that make you sweat.

“But Dave, mine says it’s water-proof.”

Dave: “They lie. Also, keep bottles in your car, sports, bag, purse, etc. so you always have it accessible.”

Expiration date. Check the sunscreen’s expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years, but its shelf life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.

“Sunscreen can expire?!?!”

Dave: “That’s right, but if you are using the recommended 2 tablespoons for your body per application you should never come close to the expiration date.”

Cosmetics. Some make-up and lip balms contain some of the same chemicals used in sunscreens. If they do not have at least SPF 15, don’t use them by themselves.

“But, I paid $45 dollars for this base!”

Dave: “Sorry.”

Drink water. That’s right, not only will you reduce the risk of heatstroke, but your skin will stay more hydrated and offer more protection against sun damage.

“Wow, thanks Dave.”

Dave: “No problem.”

Tips were adapted from: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/prevention.htm