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Page 1 of 3 SunscreenDid you know? 1) Excessive exposure to UVB rays causes classic sunburn as UVB rays penetrate past the skin's epidermal basement membrane. UVB rays cause basal cell carcinomas, melanomas and possibly squamous cell carcinoma. Current statistics indicate that 81% of all cancers diagnosed per year in Australia are skin cancers. Each year, over 374,000 Australians are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer (BCC and SCC) and 8,800 Australians are diagnosed with Malignant Melanoma. 2) A significant amount of UVB is screened out by the ozone layer, which is itself diminishing. Ultraviolet ray intensity in sunlight is thus increasing over time. 3) There are 20 times more UVA rays than UVB in sunlight hitting the earth .Excessive exposure to UVA rays causes DNA damage to important skin cells in the deeper layer of skin, the dermis. Collagen fibres are damaged and there is an overproduction of abnormal elastin fibres leading to small pockets of yellow elastic tissue observable under the skin and commonly referred to as Solar Elastosis. 4) UVA can penetrate window glass and its power is unchanged throughout the day, season or altitude, unlike UVB radiation. 5) Water resistance is defined by the TGA as maintenance of the label SPF or Sun Protection Factor, after 40 mins of immersion in FRESH water consisting of two 20 minute periods of activity in water separated by a 20 minute rest period during which the skin is allowed to AIR dry rather than using a towel. These guidelines obviously do not reflect usual public behaviour! Re-application after swimming is a must! 6) To cover an average size 1.73m square surface area of adult skin requires 35 ml of sunscreen for proper SPF related protection. A shot glass (standard 30ml) can be used as a mental measuring tool. Any dose below this standard will not provide the advertised protection. Efficacy of sunscreen is highly dependant upon correct dosage and application. 7) An SPF 15 blocks out 93% of UVB (burning) rays (i.e. fourteen fifteenths) 8) UVB exposure depletes the skin of many important antioxidants, including Vitamin C. Sunscreens prevent only 55% of the free radicals produced by sun exposure. Topically applied L-Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) has been shown to reduce UVB induced erythema (i.e. sunburn) in the skin by a further 52%. Antioxidants must be applied to the skin BEFORE UV exposure to benefit from their photo-protective qualities. They act like a sponge to mop up free radicals before they damage healthy cells. Vitamin C creams also help to increase collagen and elastin secretion in the skin, and have been clinically proven to reduce lines and wrinkles. There are many reasons to include Vitamin C in your skin care routine.
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