Sunscreen is a product designed to protect us from the damaging effects of the sun, so it stands to reason that the rate of skin cancer would have dropped since sunscreen was introduced to the general market. It may shock you to know that cases of skin cancer have actually increased since the introduction of sunscreen to mass market sales.
Sunscreen has been around since ancient times – Egyptians used a variety of plant extracts to protect against sun damage thousands of years ago and some of these were effective enough to still be used in skin products today. Zinc oxide paste, a white mineral ointment, has been applied to noses since Pharaohs ruled the land, but it wasn’t until the late 1920s that inventors began producing formulas for synthetic commercial sunscreens. One of the earliest was created in 1938 by Franz Greiter, the man who also invented SPF, the sun protection factor. His product, Gletscher Crème, had an SPF of 2.
Coppertone made some much needed improvements on earlier versions and in 1950 they introduced the public to Coppertone Girl and Bain de Soleil. The first Coppertone ads featured a four year old girl with her lips pursed in surprise as a cocker spaniel pulled her swimsuit panties down, revealing a pure white bottom in contrast to a burnished brown tan. “Don’t be a paleface!” the ad laughingly teases, as it promises us “a magic ingredient that screens out harmful burning sun rays.” Unfortunately, people took this invitation at its word. It was not until 2011 that the US Food and Drug Administration released standards for sunscreen labels, enabling consumers to identify sunscreens that offer safe and effective protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. By then it began to dawn on researchers that those provocative advertising campaigns may have been responsible for many preventable cases of skin cancer.
But how is that possible? Shouldn’t sunscreen have at least stalled the rise of deadly cancers?
Well, it should have. But to quote Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: “The devil is in the details.”
And there are a lot of details that the average consumer missed.
SPF 101: damage from the sun is caused by UV rays. There are two different types — UVA and UVB, and this is where the SPF of a sun screen can be misleading. Conventional sun screens contain UVB blockers, which do offer protection against sunburn, but they block very few of the far more dangerous UVA rays which can increase the rate of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. They also cause the invisible damage that leads to premature aging, and this is the scariest thing about sun exposure. No one in their teens, twenties, or thirties is going to be able to see what they’ve done to their skin until they hit their 40’s. By then it’s too late.
The most common misconception about sunscreen is that once it’s on, your skin is invincible. This is probably why the rate of new melanoma cases among American adults has tripled since the 1970s – when people used it, they spent even more time out in the sun. Research has shown that the higher the SPF of the lotion, the safer people feel exposing themselves to excessive radiation. If they aren’t getting tan, they don’t see the danger. However, in a cruel paradox, UVB sunscreens block tanning rays, but allow the cancer causing UVA rays right through.
A broad spectrum sunscreen that includes UVA blockers is a much better choice. But again, the devil is in those pesky details.
Sunscreen is not a waterproof shield, it is a viscous liquid that is prone to rub off of our sweaty summer skin. Even water resistant sunblock needs to be applied repeatedly at the beach in order to work. If properly used, broad spectrum sunscreen can provide valuable protection against certain types of cancer, but it is surprising how many people don’t bother to read the directions.
But here is the most curious twist: outdoor workers report lower rates of melanoma than indoor workers. Cancer rates are also higher in northern cities with less year-round UV intensity than in cities with tropical sun.
Why? Studies have found that Vitamin D from controlled sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer. Paradoxically, UVB sunscreen also blocks vitamin D absorption.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, all it takes is five or more sunburns in youth, and your melanoma risk increases by 80 percent over the course of your life. Here are the recommended rules of prevention if you really care about your once and future health:
• Do not use sunscreen as an excuse to prolong your time in the sun.
• If you use a sun screen, pick one with natural ingredients and strong UVA protection.
• Cover up! Think big hats, white clothing and big beach umbrellas.
• Boycott tanning beds — they dramatically increase the risk of melanoma and premature aging.
• Protect young kids! Early life sunburns are worse.
•Get a healthy dose of natural vitamin D cultivating exposure — this varies from 10 minutes a day for very fair skinned people to 20 minutes a day for people with darkest skin.
Get professional screening every year and listen to advice! The skin you’re in is yours forever.