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Behind the Label: Soltan Suncream

By Pat Thomas, 01/07/04 Articles
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It is not inevitable that sun exposure will lead to photo-ageing (dry, wrinkled skin), or even to skin cancer. Nevertheless, the sun is now officially the enemy – against which sun creams are our weapons of choice. By Pat Thomas

 

It is not inevitable that sun exposure will lead to photo-ageing (dry, wrinkled skin), or even to skin cancer. Nevertheless, the sun is now officially the enemy – against which sun creams are our weapons of choice.

The problem is that using sun creams on their own to prevent skin damage is like trying to lose weight by ordering a diet Coke with your Big Mac and fries. Because sun creams encourage a false sense of security, we stay out in the sun far longer than is smart or safe. Few of us apply sun creams as regularly or as thickly as manufacturers recommend. In real-world terms, this means that the sun protection factor (SPF, see below) listed on the bottle is always misleading.

Chemicals that provide sun protection are also potentially irritating to the skin, and irritated skin is more prone to sun damage. Emerging research also suggests that some of these chemicals are oestrogen mimics that persist in the environment and in the body. Potentially, this could lead to gender-bending effects in men and boys, and breast and ovarian cancer and reproductive abnormalities in women.

Sun myths

Used properly, sun screens will prevent sunburn, but evidence of protection against most skin cancers is inconclusive. Sun screens may reduce the risk of squamous cell carcinoma, but their effect on the more serious basal cell carcinoma and the more deadly malignant melanoma is uncertain. Indeed, some studies have linked regular sun screen use to higher rates of melanoma among men and basal cell carcinoma among women.

In contrast, most of the body’s vitamin D supply – between 75 and 90 per cent – is generated by the skin’s exposure to UVB rays. Using a sun screen drastically lowers the cutaneous production of vitamin D. Combined with sedentary indoor lives, this raises the risk of vitamin-D deficiency disorders such as rickets, osteomalacia and osteoporosis. It may also increase the risk of certain cancers.

In the US the number of deaths from skin cancer is believed to be in the region of 10,000 per year. Premature deaths from cancers (breast, prostate and colon) associated with inadequate sun exposure are estimated at two to three times that figure.

Protection money

Last year the UK sun-care market generated £182m. In particular, government advice for us all to cover up has boosted the sales of higher protection factor creams. SPF 15 and SPF 25 are now the UK’s most popular choices. Unfortunately the higher the SPF the more chemicals the cream will contain.

The leading brand in the UK is Boots’ Soltan, which claims around 19 per cent of the market. Ambre Solaire and Nivea come next, followed by Piz Buin and Tesco’s own brand.

Safe sun

The SPF number defines how long you can stay in the sun before getting burnt. If you normally turn pink after 20 minutes, an SPF 15 product will extend this period by 15 times (ie five hours). The SPF applies only to protection from UVB radiation, not the more harmful UVA radiation.

Sunburn is easily preventable by staying out of the sun between 11am and 2pm. It can also be prevented by wearing appropriate clothing. The average T-shirt has an SPF of seven, and 85 per cent of fabrics tested in an Australian study had and SPF of 20 or more.

Sidebar: Ingredients Boots Soltan Suncream

Aqua, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, Butylene glycol, Isotridecyl salicylate, Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 methylglucose distearate, C18-36 acid glycol ester, Octocrylene, Butyrospermum parkii, Octyl salicylate, Phenoxyethanol, PVP/hexadecane copolymer, Parfum, Tocopherol acetate, Methylparaben, Acrylates/vinyl isodecanoate crosspolymer, Diethylhexyl butamido triazone, Xanthan gum, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Potassium hydroxide, Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Dipropylene glycol

Isotridecyl salicylate, Octyl salicylate

Purpose

  • UVB filter and antiseptic

Health effects

  • Skin irritants; some salicylates have hormone-disrupting potential.

Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane

Purpose

  • UVA filter

Health effects

  • Skin rashes, allergic reactions and inflammation; B-MDM’s questionable stability in the sun means it may break down into chemicals that inhibit the skin’s natural defences against sunlight, leaving it more vulnerable to skin cancer and premature ageing.

Octocrylene

Purpose

  • UVB filter belonging to the cinnamate family of chemicals.

Health effects

  • Skin irritant; some cinnamates have hormone-disrupting effects; research by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority suggests that weak doses of cinnamates can cause premature death of animal skin cells.

Glycerin

Purpose

  • Lubricant – makes skin creams go on more smoothly. Glycerin can be processed from plants or animals.

Health effects

  • Can dry the skin, making it more vulnerable to sun damage and more prone to absorbing other harmful chemicals in the mix.

Potassium Hydroxide

Purpose

  • Controls alkalis

Health effects

  • Skin irritation and eye damage.

Parfum

Purpose

  • Fragrance

Health effects

  • Allergenic; can contain hormone-disrupting, liver-toxic and neurotoxic artificial musks; asthmatic reactions; nervous-system reactions such as headaches, mood swings, depression, forgetfulness and irritation. 

Dimethicone

Purpose

  • Synthetic silicone-based moisturiser; film former

Health effects

  • Skin irritation.

Methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, propylparaben, butylated hydroxytoulene, tetrasodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol

Purpose

  • Preservatives

Health effects

  • Skin irritation, contact dermatitis, contact allergies. 

Sidebar: Ingredients with unknown health effects

C12-15 alkyl benzoate

Purpose

  • Synthetic moisturiser and preservative

Diethylhexyl butamido triazone

Purpose

  • UV filter

Polyglyceryl-3 methylglucose distearate

Purpose

  • Emulsifier – holds the mixture of water and oils together

C18-36 acid glycol ester

Purpose

  • Synthetic moisturiser

PVP/ hexadecene copolymer, acrylates/ vinyl isodecanoate crosspolymer

Purpose

  • Keep the product stuck to the skin and improve water-resistance

Dipropylene glycol

Purpose

  • Solvent

Xanthan Gum

Purpose

  • Thickener, stabiliser
  • Although considered ‘natural’, xanthan gum is produced in the lab by a biotechnological fermentation process from the micro-organism xanthomonas campestris. Xanthan gum can be genetically modified.

 

Sidebar: A safe sun screen?

While it is impossible to make an effective sun cream without chemical sun screens or mineral sun blocks, it is possible to make a sun cream that is low in skin irritants and is without synthetic perfumes or petroleum-derived polymers (plastic-like substances that ‘glue’ the sun screen to your skin). Products that use mineral sun blocks, such as titanium or zinc oxide, tend to be less irritating than chemical sun screens.

Try these instead

Pat Thomas is the author of several books on environment and health issues, including: Cleaning Yourself to Death: how safe is your home?, Living Dangerously: are everyday toxins making you sick? (both published by Newleaf) and Under the Weather: how weather and climate affect our health (Fusion Press).

 

  • This article first appeared in the July/August 2004 edition of the Ecologist.

 

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