Colorescience

Day 148

I may have cancer and I may be (mostly) bald, but I have my little Cuppy baby and her equally adorable (but too heavy to pick up) brother Snowball.

As promised, I’m back. Today was spent researching sunblock. Now that I have skin cancer and am going through radiation treatments I have to be even more careful in the sun. I researched a little on the web and found that the Skin Cancer Foundation gives its seal of recommendation to a few products. To get their seal of recommendation they products must … (quoted directly from their site)

• A sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher

• Validation of SPF number by testing on 20 subjects

• Substantiation for any claims that a sunscreen is water- or sweat-resistant

• Acceptable results for phototoxic reactions and contact irritancy testing on 20 subjects

• A sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher • Validation of SPF number by testing on 20 subjects • Substantiation for any claims that a sunscreen is water- or sweat-resistant • Acceptable results for phototoxic reactions and contact irritancy testing on 20 subjects

They endorse recommend products by Avon, Colorescience, MD SolarSciences, PCA Skin, and Shiseido with their Active Seal. They define Active as … (quoted directly from their site)

“Active” products should protect the wearer from extended sun exposure, such as exposure received outdoors during recreational activities. Examples might include high SPF products, sport sunscreens, zinc oxide/titanium dioxide sticks, and baby products.

To be awarded the “Active” Seal products must meet these criteria:

• UVB protection: A sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.  Validation of the SPF number by testing on 20 human subjects.
• UVA Protection: A critical wavelength of 370 or Persistent Pigment Darkening (PPD) of 10, as tested on 10 human subjects.
• Acceptable results for phototoxic reactions and contact irritancy testing on 20 human subjects.
• Proof of photostability.
• Proof of water resistance.

Sounds good. Right? Sure. However, the recommended products are super expensive.

Avon

Anew Solar Advance Sunscreen Body Lotion SPF 30  $34

Anew Solar Advance Lip Sunscreen SPF 30

Anew Solar Advance Eye Sunscreen SPF 30

(I couldn’t find the lip or eye sunscreen on Avon’s website)

Colorescience

Sunforgettable SPF 30 Powder  $50

MD SolarSciences

Mineral Screen Gel SPF 30+ Sensitive Skin  $29.50

Mineral Screen Lotion SPF 40  $36

PCA SKIN

Active very water/sweat resistant SPF 45

(has to be purchased from a clinical practice)

Shiseido

Shiseido Extra Smooth Sun Protection Cream N SPF 38  $32-$34 at Sephora

I asked on Twitter what sunblock people recommended and my husband’s friend, who surfs and another Tweeter, who I’m pretty sure doesn’t surf recommended Bullfrog. I looked it up online and one is an SPF 30, which includes insect repellant (mosquitos love me) and the other is an SPF 50 mist. I’m thinking about buying the SPF 30 with the insect repellant for my body and perhaps purchasing one of the MD SolarSciences products for my face. While I was at Target today I picked up Neutrogena’s SPF 60 for sensitive skin for my face. It contains the same active ingredients as the MD SolarSciences (Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide) and it cost less than $10. However, I was reading the info on some of the sunblocks Surfer Dude recommended and in one FAQ I learned something that I did not know before purchasing the Neutrogena sunblock.

According to Headhunter Surfscreen’s FAQ the FDA does not recognize the term waterproof. (quoted directly from their site)

What is the Difference between “Water Resistant,” “Very Water-Resistant,” and “Waterproof”? A lot. The FDA recognizes the terms “water resistant” and “very water resistant.” It does not recognize the term “waterproof.” If a sunscreen says “waterproof” it’s just marketing hype from the maker himself.

I don’t actually plan to be in the water  but I’m wondering if water-resistant also means sweat-resistant. I plan on buying a hat in addition to good sunscreen so I’m hoping the Neutrogena SPF 60 plus a big floppy hat will protect my face and poor radiated head.

Thus concludes our class on sunblock. Thanks for stopping by to read and comment. I love you all.

Love,

~ me ~