Antiaging 論防曬 | 𝐍𝐌𝐍活健齡

90% of skin aging is due to sun exposure! To fight skin aging, it's best to avoid playing games with sunlight. Therefore, in daily self-care practices for skin anti-aging, sun protection is the top priority. It's important to apply sunscreen products that have "genuine sun protection function" and are "safe and harmless".

"Safe" and "effective sun protection" are two simple yet difficult-to-achieve criteria. After over 40 years of numerous attempts by various parties, in February 2019, the US FDA finally announced the <Sunscreen Safety and Efficacy Guidelines>, which shocked countless users/consumers, while also sounding a moral standard alarm for the beauty industry.

Sunscreen can typically be divided into two categories: chemical and physical. In simple terms, chemical sunscreens are absorbed by the skin first, then reduce the damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet rays. In contrast, physical sunscreens form a physical barrier on the skin's surface, blocking the direct damage of UV rays to the skin.

As the name implies, physical sunscreens form a barrier on the skin's surface, which inevitably leaves a thin white layer on the skin. Therefore, many women prefer to use chemical sunscreens. These tend to leave no trace on the skin after use, and many expensive brands tout the safety and harmlessness of their chemical sunscreens, which can lead people to fall into the trap of spending money on ineffective sun protection.

However, it's essential to note that not all chemical sunscreens are created equal, and some may contain ingredients that could potentially be harmful or irritating to the skin. For this reason, it's always a good idea to thoroughly research a product and its ingredients before use.

In the FDA's sunscreen ingredient guidelines, it is very clear that only two ingredients are generally recognized as safe and effective, both of which are physical sunscreen ingredients:

✔ Zinc oxide ✔ Titanium dioxide

The FDA has identified several chemical sunscreen ingredients that currently lack sufficient data to make a positive "Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective" (GRASE) determination. These include:

❌ Avobenzone
❌ Homosalate
❌ Octinoxate
❌ Octisalate

❌ Octocrylene
❌ Oxybenzone
❌ Cinoxate
❌ Dioxybenzone

❌ Ensulizole
❌ Meradimate
❌ Padimate o
❌ Sulisobenzone

According to the FDA's guidelines, the following two ingredients are currently not considered safe for use in sunscreens: PABA and Trolamine salicylate。

FDAThe FDA tested various widely used sunscreen ingredients on the market, primarily considering the skin absorption rate after long-term application, and the negative effects on human health. Especially for chemical sunscreen ingredients, potential concerns include::

☹ Easily absorbed by the skin: Chemical sunscreens penetrate the skin and get absorbed into the body.
☹ Potential to disrupt the endocrine system: Some chemical sunscreens can interfere with the body's hormonal systems.
☹ Cause allergic reactions: Certain individuals may experience allergic reactions such as redness and itching when using chemical sunscreens.
☹ Residual chemicals found in bodily fluids: After being absorbed by the skin, residues of chemical sunscreens can be detected in breast milk, amniotic fluid, urine, and blood
☹ Increased concerns for children and adolescents: The impact of these potential issues can be more concerning when it comes to children and adolescents.

FDAThe FDA states that higher Sun Protection Factor (SPF) values can give the misconception of providing stronger protection, or the idea that more sunscreen ingredients offer better coverage. These are both incorrect assumptions. The FDA intends to establish guidelines limiting the maximum stated SPF to no more than 60+. Believing that applying high-intensity sunscreen can extend sun exposure time can increase the risk of sunburn and skin cancer.

Furthermore, more than 25% of tested sunscreen products do not meet their claimed SPF values, meaning they do not provide adequate sun protection. Hong Kong media also reported that a non-profit organization in the United States tested a total of 952 sunscreen products, of which 85% were inadequate in terms of sun protection effectiveness and safety. What's more, many of these are familiar and well-known brands. For more information, you can refer to here <Brand-name sunscreen products are ineffective according to the U.S>。

At the time of writing, the author randomly searched for sunscreen products on the market. Not only do many contain a large amount of chemical ingredients, but some also mix a small amount of physical and a large amount of chemical ingredients, yet they promote themselves as physician-recommended physical sunscreens. This is quite alarming. The concentration percentage (% percent concentration) of physical sunscreen ingredients is especially important. It is recommended to refer to the following list to ensure timely protection, and it is also recommended to reapply every two hours under strong sunlight.

Active Ingredients 主要有效成份

Zinc Oxide ✔✔✔

(Preferred approved ingredients, able to broadly block UVA and UVB, should be at least 10-20% in concentration, with the maximum concentration legally set at 25%)

Titanium Dioxide ✔✔

(Secondary choice ingredients, capable of moderately blocking UVA and broadly blocking UVB, should be at least 5% in concentration, below 25%, or used for color adjustment purposes.)

For the health of yourself and your family, please carefully choose the physical sunscreen ingredients that the FDA considers generally safe and effective. Zinc oxide and Titanium dioxide can effectively, safely, reliably, and harmlessly block the damage of UVA and UVB. There's no need to supplement with chemical sunscreen ingredients. Besides these, any other chemical ingredients in the main effective ingredient list that you do not recognize, it's suggested that you don't need to get to know them. Let them go, and make the best choice for yourself, your family, and the environment!!