Faye`s Focus On Sun Protection:
I’ve been looking into sunscreens for over a year now but it seems, the more I found out about different ingredients, the more I wish I didn’t feel the need to protect myself under the sun. Certain chemical absorbers, such as Mexoryl and Tinosorb (in combination with other filters), have much better PPD ratings in comparison to physical blockers, like Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide, but is religious sunscreen use really good for the skin? Could the chemicals, perhaps, be dangerous in the long run? Also, what would be the opinion on Tinosorb.
The Right Brain`s Response:
Between the chemistry and the legal issues, figuring out the best sunscreen can be a bewildering task. And understanding new sunscreen ingredients like the ones you asked about? Whew! It’s enough to make even the Left Beauty Brain break out in a cold sweat. Why all the confusion? It’s partly because of regulatory issues. There are many functional sunscreens (both UVA and UVB) that are available in Europe, Canada, and Australia but fewer are approved in the US. The reasons for this are complicated and have as much to do with politics as they do science. We can’t really do justice to this topic in a short post, but here’s an article from Chemical and Engineering News that covers most of your basic questions. The bottom line is that in the US, the Food and Drug Administration “treats sunscreen active ingredients like drugs for regulatory purposes, while regulators in Europe and elsewhere treat sunscreens as cosmetics, for which the regulatory approval procedure is less onerous.”
Hmmm, interesting. We also looked into the toxicology of sunscreens but couldn’t find any clear evidence that long term sunscreen usage could be harmful. But if you want to learn more about Mexoryl and Tinosorb, check out the entire article and the following references too. We hope they help!
Suncare Lab News
Makeup Alley also has several excellent links that you’ll find useful.
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I read that L’oreal Anthelios SX wll be release in the US this Fall. I still don’t see it in any store or online shop. Does anyone know anything about this?
The sunscreen you are looking for is actually under the brand LaRoche Posay. this is carried in Canada and has been for a while now. This is actually one of the best sunscreens on the market in my opinion.
The whole sunscreen issue is very confusing to say the least.