Yesterday while I was rummaging through one of the drawers that needs to be cleaned out, I came across a small tube of sunscreen that I’d bought at the Mayo Clinic’s pharmacy several years ago. Shortly after I’d bought it, I’d “put it away” (read “tossed it in the drawer where it got lost”) and forgotten about it.
Well, the AlphaHydrox I ordered from Amazon.com after the RoC fiasco arrived in the mail. It’s working exactly the same as it did when I first used it: it seems to smooth the wrinkles a little bit, helps with the surface-of-Mars effect, and doesn’t irritate unduly. But as with the retinoids, you really should wear a sunscreen when you’re using alpha-hydroxy acids on your skin, because they can predispose you to sunburn.
I’ve been using Neutrogena’s Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch sunblock, because it’s less obnoxious than most drugstore sunscreens and doesn’t contain PABA, which irritates my skin. Even though its scent is not too strong, it still does stink. I really dislike stuff that’s full of industrial perfume, and of all the industrial perfumes out there, the ones that make you smell like a beach bunny annoy me more than any. This is not something I want to smear on my face and arms every day of my life.
When I spotted the Mayo’s SPF 35 sunscreen, I thought, “I’ll bet this doesn’t stink.” Dab it on and yup! That’s so. Hallelujah! It not only doesn’t make you smell like you just came from the pool or the beach, it doesn’t make your skin sting, either. The stuff is called Vanicream Sensitive Skin Sunscreen
Normally I don’t wear much sunscreen, relying instead on clothing, makeup, and a hat to provide sun protection. During the summer, I usually restrict swimming to early morning and after dark. This is partly because PABA, which is no longer used, was quite irritating to my skin and partly because there is some controversy over the use of any sunscreens.
In the first place, humans produce vitamin D through their skin when exposed to sunlight. This is our major source of vitamin D, which is needed to metabolize calcium. Without adequate vitamin D, your bones weaken and voilà! Ostopenia, osteoporosis! Sunblocks (such as zinc oxide) inhibit your body’s ability to make vitamin D, because (obviously) they block your skin’s access to sunlight.
And in the second place, far from preventing skin cancer, sunscreen use has been associated with an increase in malignant melanoma. The products apparently don’t protect against the development of skin cancer as well as people imagine, but because we think we’re protected, we spend more time in the noonday sun than any Englishman or mad dog should.
Thus as you can see, the trick is not to smear chemicals on your skin, but simply to stay out of the sun, except for a few minutes each day specifically for the purpose of metabolizing vitamin D. You need less than 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight twice a week to produce adequate levels. It’s also possible to take vitamin D orally, to good effect in most circumstances.
IMHO, you’re better off to limit sun exposure to just enough to produce a decent amount of vitamin D (which depends on your ethnicity and skin color), to consume vitamin D-fortified dairy products, and to enjoy some salmon now and then. Here in Arizona, I generally wear a wide-brimmed hat and long sleeves even in 110-degree heat (make that especially in 100-degree heat—lightweight cotton or linen actually makes you feel cooler by shading your skin from the sun’s direct blast) and confine my outdoor activities to times when the sun is close to the horizon or below it. I carry a straw hat in the car, so there’ll always be one at hand, and I also leave a big sombrero hanging in the garage for gardening.
Vanicream is not cheap—$14 for four ounces, pretty bracing when you learn that if you’re running around in a bathing suit you should smear a whole ounce of it on yourself. But I figure as long as you’re using a product that could your make skin sun-sensitive, it’s worth it for the face and the age-spot-prone hands and forearms.
Interesting topic. I’ve just been wondering about not using sunscreen. I’m not going to post it on my blog because I don’t want people thinking I’m advising against sunscreen or whatnot, but I personally have made this decision for myself. I’m thinking that I might as well move towards wearing a hat, covering up and just staying out of the sun during the worst hours of the day. I think you’re right about sunscreen giving you a false sense of security since it doesn’t block all the rays. . .I believe in Europe sunscreens are better about that (I read it once) but still, there are so many weird chemicals in sunscreens that you have to wonder. I think it’s probably good to just adjust your lifestyle.
By the way, when I was a lifeguard, sunscreen was no comparison to a giant farmer hat and a rash guard or-t-shirt to keep the sun off.