ABC on sun – things you should know!

Australian Standard - In Australia, the continent where most damage has been done to the protective ozone layer around the earth, standards have been set for the UVA protection effectiveness of products. At lease 90% of the radiation must be absorbed.

B

CColipa – the governing body of the cosmetics industry. In 1994, it published its standard for the determination of sunlight protection factor (SPF) used today by most of the European sunscreen manufacturers.

D

Eigenschutzzeit - Zeitspanne, in der die ungeschützte Haut der Sonne ausgesetzt werden kann, ohne einen Sonnenbrand zu bekommen. Die Eigenschutzzeit hängt vom Hauttyp und der Stärke der UV-Strahlung ab.

Emulsifiers – ingredients of cosmetic and sunscreen products that enable water and fats to be mixed. They may, however, give rise to skin reaction such as Mallorca acne when exposed to UV radiation.

Erythema – reddening of the skin.

F, G

Hyperkeratosis – a thickening of the outer layer of the skin produced after 5-7 days of exposure to sunlight. This provides a certain degree of protection equivalent to a UVB factor of 5.

Inherent skin protection – the period of time that unprotected skin can be exposed to sunlight without the risk of sunburn. The degree of protection depends on the skin type and the intensity of the radiation. iner

J, K

Mallorca acne – a condition similar to classical acne involving rashes and nodules that occur mostly on arms and chest.

Melanin – the brown pigment of the skin that forms when exposed to sunlight. Causes the tanning effect.

Micropigments – very fine mineral pigments used in UV sunscreens. Spread over the skin, they provide a protective film. They absorb incident sunlight and reflect it as a mirror does.

N, O

Polymorphous dermatitis – a collective term for various types of sun-induced skin disease. Typically, causes intensive itching in combination with blisters and pustules. Tends to occur after the first sunbathing sessions after winter. Chest, arms and back tend to be affected.

Q, R

Seasonableness – the best sunscreen! It is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of the sun's rays if meaningful protection is to be achieved. Being reasonable is much better than the SPF. The key for riskless sunbathing is to dose the sun reasonably, starting with low doses and gradually increasing, combined with a suitable sunscreen.

Skin cancer – may be caused as a result of the cells of the skin being damaged by UV radiation. The process may take years or even decades of constant exposure of the cells to sunlight (chronic radiation damage) or occur subsequent to sudden frequent exposure (acute radiation damage). Pigment cancer (malignant melanoma) is the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

Solarium – equipment for providing a tan using almost exclusively UVA radiation. The intensity is several times that of the sun's natural UVA radiation. Too frequent use of such systems can result in premature aging of the skin.

Sun Protection Factor – is the factor, indicated on the product package as SPF, SSF or LSF, which allows the exposure time to sun to be calculated.

Sunscreens – substances that minimize the potentially damaging effect of UV radiation. 

Sunblock – sunscreen preparations with an SPF greater than 20. 

T

UV-radiation – invisible UV radiation is divided into three types: UVA, UVB and UVC.

UVA-radiation – in comparison with the other types, UVA is much more long-wave and hence has less energy. In low doses, this type of radiation causes neither sunburn nor tanning. However, longer exposure at higher doses often gives rise to skin pigmentation – "instant tanning". UVA is responsible for skin aging.

UVB-radiation – short-wave radiation that gives rise to sunburn. Can also cause "late pigmentation".

UVC-radiation – rarely reach the earth's surface as it is filtered out by the ozone layer. Can give rise to inflammation and reddening of the skin.

Vitamin E - functions mainly by capturing radicals, i.e. it reduces the overall effect of the free radicals that otherwise damage the skin.

Weather-proof – as water transmits UV radiation, those participating in water sports, bathers and children require a sunscreen that is waterproof. On leaving the water, the degree of protection is only about 50%.Thus, after drying off, the sunscreen should be re-applied – even if a waterproof product has been used. Waterproofing is achieved with the use of water-insoluble filter substances and also by fats and oils in the sunscreen.

X, Y, Z