Staying Safe in the Sun Using Sunscreen

Spending time outdoors being active, enjoying nature and de-stressing is good for you. But more time in the sun means more exposure to its harmful rays, which can damage your skin. Even on overcast days, the sun’s rays can penetrate the clouds. Wearing sunscreen is one of the best ways to protect your skin and help prevent sunburn, skin cancer and premature aging.

Sunscreen is readily available, but in the last decade melanoma skin cancer cases in the U.S. have risen by 42%, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, resulting in more than 8,000 deaths a year.

What Causes Skin Cancer?

The sun emits two types of ultraviolet rays:

• UVB rays: make up 5% of the sun’s radiation and cause burning
• UVA rays: are more harmful and penetrate deeper into your skin

Ultraviolet radiation is a “proven human carcinogen,” causing squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, which can develop into melanoma, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Up to 95% of all ultraviolet radiation that reaches our skin is UVA rays. These rays, which can pass through glass, are equally intense throughout the year, while UVB rays become more powerful in the spring and summer, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

UVA rays may not burn you, but they are the ones that primarily contribute to skin cancer, which is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. with more than 3.5 million people diagnosed each year. As little as 15 minutes in the sun could damage your skin, even on a cloudy day.

How Can You Protect Yourself?

Sunscreen is the tried-and-true method to protect yourself. But they’re not created equally. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has investigated sunscreen products for 18 years and found only 25% of more than 1,700 products they’ve investigated offer broad-spectrum protection without troublesome chemical ingredients added to them.

In EWG’s 2024 Guide to Sunscreens report they found 229 products met safety and effectiveness standards. Fifty-one products met their standard for children.

To obtain the EWG’s passing grade, the product must:

• Be “green,” posing little hazard to health or the environment
• List every ingredient on the label, including nanoparticles and fragrances
• Have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 to 50
• Not contain ingredients restricted by the European Union and Canada as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. National Toxicology Program and California’s Proposition 65 list of known carcinogens and reproductive toxins

The FDA and EWG warn consumers that an SPF higher than 50 is not more effective. They also warn that people less frequently apply sunscreen with an SPF of 50+ because they think it applies more protection, when in fact it does not.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using water-resistant products with broad-spectrum protection and SPF of at least 30. Any sunscreen with an SPF less than 15 does not protect against skin cancer.

Ingredients to Avoid

According to a 2020 study by the FDA, oxybenzone is one of six sunscreen chemicals found in the bloodstream of volunteers at levels that exceed safety thresholds after only one day of use.

Oxybenzone was absorbed into the body at 50 to 100 times higher concentration than five other tested ingredients—avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate and octinoxate. Oxybenzone and another chemical, homosalate, then stayed in the bloodstream for seven to 21 days, the study found.

In May 2023, the FDA announced two ingredients—PABA and trolamine salicylate—would not be on the list of ingredients generally recognized as safe and effective.

How to Best Protect Yourself from Skin Cancer

Cooper Clinic Dermatology offers tips to keep you covered from head to toe year-round to help protect against skin cancer.

• Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30+ for best protection against the sun—be aware sunscreen products can no longer claim to be above SPF 50 because higher numbers are not proven to provide more protection.

• Apply sunscreen 365 days a year—rain or shine—because UVA/UVB rays still shine through on cloudy days.

• Use water-resistant sunscreen to help protect you when you are having fun in the pool or exercising outdoors—remember to reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.

• Sunscreen in bottles and lotions are best for our skin as opposed to sprays that may not rub in well—plus you have a better chance of using the recommended 1 oz. needed to cover your skin.

• Sunscreen that protects you from both UVA/UVB rays is best to help prevent burns and premature aging.

• Limit time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are most intense.

• Wear clothing to cover skin exposed to the sun, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, sunglasses and broad-brimmed hats.

Prevention is key. Cooper Clinic recommends having a thorough, full-body skin cancer screening annually. It’s also important to do a self-check at home every month.

For more information about Cooper Clinic Dermatology’s skin cancer screening with a board-certified dermatologist or to book your screening, visit cooperclinicdermatology.com or call 972.367.6000.