Question:
what ingredients should one generally avoid in sunscreens? and what
should they generally want their sunscreens to have?
are there any acceptable sunscreens that can be purchased at a CVS or
other store that one can walk into (rather than purchase on the
internet)?
Answer:
I'm sure others will post about what ingredients to avoid (I'm not so
up to date on the common list of irritants for rosacea... last list I
saw looked like it had everything but distilled water on it, so it
seemed pointless to me to try to avoid all of it without knowing if it
was a personal irritant...), but here's some stuff you definately need
to look for:
Make sure the sunscreen is labeled either "Broadband" or "UVA/UVB
Protection." If you're still unsure, one of these three ingredients
should appear under active ingredients: Parasol 1789 (aka avebenzone),
zinc oxide, or titanium dioxide. These are the ONLY ingredients (in
the USA... there's another that starts with a "M" that's approved
outside the US, but I can never remember the name) that protect
against UVA rays, which are thought to be the primary factor in
wrinkles/aging and skin cancer. UVB is responsible for sunburns. The
above three ingredients cover both, but sometimes other active
ingredients are added in to cover the spectrum a little more fully.
Anyhow, there are many sunscreens in your local pharmacies and at mall
cosmetics counters that fall in this category. However, there are
benefits and drawbacks to which active ingredients you have in the
sunscreen:
Parasol 1789 is a great product and is clear, but it has a higher
potential to irritate skin. It seems that most people on this board
avoid sunscreens with this active ingredient, though I'm not sure if
it's because of irritation or the benefits of the other two.
Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (grouped together because they
typically, though not always, appear together as active ingredients):
It's harder to find sunscreens that contain only these as active
ingredients. They have two main problems: a "white" sheen that varies
in intensity based on the concentration of zinc oxide in the product,
and a tendency to clog pores and make skin slightly
greasy. "Micronized zinc oxide" is just starting to come into fashion
and supposedly eliminates the white factor, though the only sunscreen
I know to currently use this is Rosacea Care's. The benefits are that
these two ingredients rarely irritate even rosacea sensitive skin (if
a sunscreen with these sole two active ingredients irritates your
skin, it's more likely due to some of the inactive ingredients than
the zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) AND many find the zinc is helpful
with rosacea and seb derm.
You also want a minimum SPF 15, but higher is better for rosaceans, so
try for SPF 30 if you can swing it. Oh, and SPF value only applies to
UVB rays and how quickly you will burn. There is no established system
that I yet know of to calculate UVA protection. The above ingredients
are a pretty good gauge, but higher percentages are better. However,
higher percentages also mean more whiteness or irritation.
You can search the board for different people's opinions on
sunscreens... it seems to be a continously hot topic, which tells me
that there really isn't an ideal one for most people. Clinque's City
Block is one I keep seeing mentioned, though it better be fabulous
when it costs $15 for 1.4 oz! That lasts, what, 2 weeks with the
prescribed liberal application? The website doesn't list it's
ingredients, so you'll have to go talk to the hassling cosmetics
people at department stores to find out more. Neutrogena's Sensitive
Skin sunblock is another... though I personally found it too greasy.
Someone just recommended Banana Boat Sensitive Skin SPF 30... Um,
that's all I can think of right now that are easily accessible. And,
of course, that's no confirmation that the other inactive ingredients
are on the "safe" list, whatever that is.
