The sun
The best protection from the sun is to seek shade and cover up with clothes and a hat, but when you are directly exposed to the ultraviolet radiation from the sun, you & your family should also use sunscreen. What does it all mean...
There are two types of rays to understand. First is UVB rays which burn the top layer of your skins surface. Secondly UVA rays, these penetrate your skin more deeply than UVB rays and do not produce any colour change to your skin. They can easily penetrate clouds and glass and will lead to premature skin ageing and wrinkling. Both UVA and UVB have the potential to cause skin cancers.
What is SPF? SPF stands for sun protection factor. Sunscreens are classified by an SPF number which refers to their ability to deflect UVB rays. My Sunshine comes with an SPF of 30 (it tested as high as SPF 70 in one test) . SPF 30 gives you 97% protection, meaning that 97% of the suns harmful UVB rays are filtered out, therefore giving you high protection.
Broad spectrum is a measure of a sunscreens effectiveness against UVA rays. In testing My Sunshine rated PA+++, giving you a high level of protection against UVA radiation.
Water resistant means that the sunscreen retains its stated SPF value after a certain time in water. My Sunshine is able to withstand up to 2 hours. We recommend that you reapply frequently and after each swim & each use of a towel.
The new 2012 sunscreen standard (Australia/New Zealand 2604:2102) was introduced to replace the 1998 standard. One of the biggest differences in the standards is the focus on UVA rays, as we now know these play a major role in causing skin cancers. If your sunscreen meets the new 2012 standard then you know you are protected at the highest level for UVA rays. If your sunscreen is only tested to 1998 then chances are you are not being protected enough from UVA rays.
Yes the sun is essential for Vitamin D production. However, just 5-10 minutes exposure each day is usually enough for your body to make a sufficient amount. There are also other safe ways to get Vitamin D - foods like cheese, egg and fatty fish are all Vitamin D rich options. You can also take a supplement.
New Zealand has the highest rate of melanoma skin cancer in the world. Approx 70,000 New Zealanders are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, with approx 400 New Zealanders dieing of skin cancer every year. Your risk of developing skin cancer doubles if you have had five or more sunburns.
So the conclusion, of the serious science stuff, is that you must love your sunscreen and that you must use it everyday.
At My Sunshine we are dedicated to sun protection, following all of the latest sunscreen research, and we are convinced that our sunscreen is the safest for you and for the environment.