What\'s new under the sun?

Author: Daniel Whitby, Cornelius Group Plc, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

The first sun care ingredients were believed to have been introduced in the late nineteenth century leading to the eventual launch of the sun care brands Hamilton's Sunburn Creams and Ambre Solaire in the early to mid-1930s. The purpose of these early products was to allow the user to develop a healthy looking tan without burning, with some usage information even advising “apply before sun-baking” so the message definitely was not based on safe sun practices. By the 1960s the concept of Sun Protection Factors (SPFs) had been developed and links between sun exposure and skin cancer were being reported, although even into the 1970s, products were still claiming that they allowed the user to tan without burning⁽¹⁾.

Over the years our knowledge of the long term harmful effects of exposure to UV radiation has increased and, combined with the launch of several new sunscreens, today's products provide broad spectrum protection allowing for high SPFs with a decent level of UVA protection. Sun care manufacturers have played a major part in educating the general public in the dangers of sun exposure and the need to avoid prolonged exposure, whilst at the same time developing well formulated sun products which are easy to apply and quickly absorbed. The importance of protecting the skin from the sun in terms of premature ageing has also come to the fore and it is widely recognised that UVA in particular leads to the early formation of wrinkles and sagging of the skin through the breakdown of collagen and elastin fibres, uneven skin tone, age spots (or solar lentigines) and capillary damage leading to increased redness⁽²⁾. All of these will appear over time as a result of chronological ageing but these processes are significantly increased by exposure to UV throughout our lifetime⁽³⁾.