In South Africa skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and risk levels for South Africans are amongst the highest worldwide with melanoma (the most deadly type of skin cancer) on the rise.
The Latest Regulations on Sun Care
The CTFA (cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association of South Africa) Sunscreen Working Group published a national standard for sunscreen products. All sunscreen products sold in South Africa have to comply with these regulations.
prohibited Terminology:
Block-out or similar claims
Claims shall not be made for or to imply 100% protection from UV radiation (eg block, sunblock, sunblocker or total protection). Sunscreen is the correct terminology.
All day protection and extended protection claims
No sunscreen product will be allowed to make an all day/extended protection/once aday application claim.
Labelling of SPF and the capping of SPF 50+
Manufacturers can no longer claim the measured SPF, but instead they will have to label the SPF according to the categories in the following chart (which means that for example, SPF 12,16,32, 35,60,100 are prohibited). In addition, a product with an SPF of below SPF 6 is not considered a sunscreen product.
What is the difference between SPF 50 and SPF 50+
SPF 50+ is actually SPF 60 or above. There is a capping at SPF 50+ as the difference between, for example, an SPF 8-0 and 60 is so incredibly small, it is misleading to consumers.
What does a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) mean?
It refers to the extra protection offered by applying a specific sunscreen lotion to the skin. If your skin usually starts to change colour within five minutes, a sunscreen with a Sun protection Factor (SPF) of 20 protects your skin for 20 times as long, i.e. 5 times 20, which equals 100 minutes.
What does UV mean?
the sun beams its energy to the earth in different wavelengths, namely visible light, infrared and invisible ultraviolet radiation. The suns energy is greatest when it travels through the inner atmosphere. It is more intense closer to the equator, on mountain tops, in the summer, and during the middle of the day (from about 10:00-15:00)
The energy of infrared rays is familiar to all of us in the pleasant warmth that the sun creates on our skin. Too much infrared energy makes us uncomfortably hot, causing us to protect ourselves by finding cool, shaded places. Just as infrared rays enter the skin, so do visible light and ultraviolet light rays. In fact, visible light rays can penetrate right through the skin.
Two types of ultraviolet light, called UVA and UVB, reach the earth’s surface. UVC rays are screened out by the earth’s atmosphere and never reach earth. Protective keratin on the skin surface reflects about 10% of ultraviolet light rays before they can enter the skin. UVA and UVB rays bounce off the keratin in much the same way as a mirror reflects light. Some of the rays that get past the first defence lines of keratin are blocked, scattered or captured by melanin packages as the second defence line of the body.
About half of the UVA that enters the skin penetrates deeply into the dermis, but 80% or more of the UVB rays are trapped in the epidermal cells
The broader UVB rays cause pigment cells (melancytes) to multiply so a “tan” results, leathering of the skin. UVB radiation is the main cause of skin cancer, but maximum protection sunscreens allow no more than 1% of UVB radiation to reach the skin.
UVA rays cause pigment in existing melanocytes to darken so a light, temporary “tan” results. About 50% of UVA rays pass through the epidermis and reaches into the connective tissue of the dermis-mainly causing premature ageing. It is currently accepted that UVA rays are the cause of malignant melanoma.
How Much UV Radiation Reaches Me?
South Africa is receiving increased amounts of UVA and UVB rays from the sun. The depletion of the ozone layer has resulted in the atmosphere losing its filter function and more solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation the surface of the earth. This results in us getting more UV radiation, and sunburn faster, when the suns rays are stronger. The amount of UV radiation that reaches the surface of the earth depends on:
The time of day– UV radiation is greatest at midday (when the sun is highest in the sky), and less in the early morning or late afternoon.
The season-UV radiation is greatest in the summer, less in spring, and least in the winter. Protection from UV rays is important however all year around, not just during summer
Cloud cover– A thick, heavy, layer of cloud blocks UV rays. Puffy. Fair-weather clouds or layers of thin, light cloud let most of the UV rays through. The darker the clouds, the less the UV radiation that gets through. Be careful under thin clouds-the suns rays don’t feel as hot, but they still can burn as 80-85% of UV radiation can pass through the clouds.
The type of surface you are on– you are exsposed to much more UV radiation on snow, since the white surface reflects the sun’s rays back onto your skin, just like a mirror. While most surfaces, even grass, reflect UV radiation, bright surfaces like dry sand and concrete can reflect up to 85% of the suns rays.
Altitude- Ultraviolet radiation increases by 8% with every 1 000 metres of altitude. With increased altitude the air becomes thinner and less UV radiation is filtered out. You are therefore exposed to more UV radiation on a mountain that at lower elevations, as the air is clearer and thinner.
Latitude-UV radiation is strongest at the equator, and gets weaker as you go towards the earth’s poles. The poles receive the least amount of UV radiation.
Calculations suggest that locations in the southern hemisphere receive approximately 15% more UV radiation than locations at a similar latitude north of the equaor. This is caused by differences in ozone between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
However, measurements show much larger differences, with biologically damaging UV radiation being 50-80% more in the southern hemisphere than at comparable northern latitudes in Europe.
Environment– Very little UVB penetrates window glass, but a large portion of UVA radiation penetrates all but specially treated reflective type of glass. How much UV light penetrates and/or passes sunglasses depends on the composition, shape and size of lenses. Most sunglasses allow some UV radiation to penetrate-except sunglasses with UV400 lenses.
How long you’re out in the sun– The longer you are out in the sun, the more UV radiation you receive.
How Do I protect Myself from UV Radiation?
it is impossible to completely avoid sunlight and it would be unwise to reduce your level of activity because you don’t want to be outdoors. But there are precautions that you can take to limit the amount of UV radiation you are exposed to. The most important fact about sun protection is to minimise the amount of time spent in the intense sun. It is, therefore important not to be in the sun between 10:00 and 15:00.
Some people think about sun protection only when they spend a full day at the beach or at the pool. But sun exposure adds up day after day and exposure occurs whenever you are in the sun. For example, when you are gardening, fishing, hiking, riding a bike, going to the zoo, or going to and from your car, you are being exposed.
Thank you to CANSA for all this valuable information.
CANSA encourages people to protect themselves whenever they are out in the sun by wearing protective clothing, UV 400 sunglasses, hats and a broad spectrum sunscreen 9minimum of SPF 20, maximum of SPF 50), as well as limiting exposure during midday to provide the best skin care.
www.cansa.org.za
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