Are your committing suicide for your skin? Australian leading dermatologist explains:
When it comes to SPF and sun protection apart from the formulation the single most important factor to guarantee the product protects you is application!!
Application is everything.
It’s why I believe that spray on aerosolised SPF products should be cancelled and are increasing premature ageing and skin cancer risk.
Yep if you want a one way ticket to accelerated photo ageing of your skin, spray on sunscreens are your “go-to”.
This is because there is an essential relationship between the thickness of the SPF based product you put on and the level of SPF protection you actually get.
So you can see if you under apply by half (which is 80 percent of consumers!) you are getting less than a quarter of the SPF advertised on the can. Literally committing what I can skin suicide.
Heather Walker, the head of SunSmart at the Cancer Council Victoria, has been quoted saying 85% of Australians do not apply enough sunscreen, across all types of product, so the correct amount to use is always more than you think.
Add a spray delivery system into the mix and you’ve literally got zero chance of applying enough to get protection unless you spray yourself with 6-10 coats and no wind factor that literally has your spf “blowing in the wind”.
"The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) tests the sun protection factor of products before they are aerosolised. The study suggested the use of propellants may dilute the sunscreen, causing it to have a lower SPF.”
Add poor application technique on top of the above then you are potentially getting no protection on your skin…
In a country where melanoma is the biggest killer of human beings under the age of 40, this is what I call out as Skin Cancer Suicide.
Funded by large multinational companies to make more bang for their buck by “buying” into the behavioral psychology that people hate the feel of wearing sunscreen. They sell these spray on formulations that feel like you are wearing nothing because you actually are!!! Falsely misleading consumers that they are actually protecting their skin. Let alone contributing to increasing your risk of Melanoma, skin cancer and premature ageing!!!!
Aerosol sunscreens are falsely misleading consumers that they are actually protecting their skin, as well as contributing to increasing your risk of melanoma, skin cancer and premature ageing!
So do yourself a favour. Put these products where they belong i.e. not on your skin.
Top tips to picking the right SPF for you:
✔︎ SPF 30 and above.✔︎ UVA and UVB coverage.
✔︎ Cream or lotion formulations.
❌ Avoid liquid spray on and aerosol can SPF.
❌ Avoid loose powder SPF products as your primary protection.
✔︎ Use one that contains an antioxidant like niacinamide (B3) to give additional protection from infrared and pollution ageing.
✔︎ Tinted products will also give protection from visible light.
✔︎ Find a formulation that feels great and you love wearing!
References
Cancer Council Warns Against Using Aerosol Sunscreen – https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/17/cancer-council-warns-against-using-aerosol-sunscreens