Sunscreen
Cancer Council Victoria recommends How long a person will take to burn depends on the
using SPF30 or higher broad-spectrum, time of day, time of year, amount of UV reflection,
how cloudy it is and their skin type.
water-resistant sunscreen. However
sunscreen alone will not provide In laboratory conditions, when used as directed,
adequate protection against SPF30 sunscreen filters 96.7% of UV radiation and
overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) SPF50 filters 98%. Both provide excellent protection if
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radiation. Cancer Council recommends they are applied properly.
five steps to protect against sun damage Applying sunscreen
during the daily sun protection times Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before you go outside
(when the UV level is 3 and above): and again every two hours (whether or not the label
tells you to do this). Use a generous amount of
1. Slip on sun-protective clothing. sunscreen. The average-sized adult should apply
more than half a teaspoon of sunscreen (about 3 ml)
2. Slop on SPF30 or higher sunscreen
to each arm and the face/neck (including ears), and
make sure it is broad-spectrum and just over one teaspoon (about 6 ml) to each leg, front
water-resistant. Put it on 20 minutes 4
of body and back of body. That is, 35 ml of
before you go outdoors and re-apply sunscreen for one full body application, for an
every two hours. average-sized adult.
3. Slap on a hat that protects your face,
Many Australians apply too little sunscreen and forget
head, neck and ears. to re-apply every two hours. This means they usually
4. Seek shade. get less than half the protection stated on the product
5. Slide on sunglasses make sure they label.
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meet Australian Standards.
Sunscreen can be easily wiped off, lost through
perspiration and is often applied unevenly in the first
UV levels are most intense during the place. Putting on more sunscreen every two hours
middle of the day. Check the daily sun helps keep you protected. Always reapply after
protection times, available: swimming or water sports.
on the free SunSmart app
The free SunSmart app includes a sunscreen
online at sunsmart.com.au or calculator and a reminder that can be set to sound
bom.gov.au/weather/uv every two hours reminding you to reapply.
in the weather section of newspapers
as a free website widget. What does broad-spectrum mean?
There are different types of UV radiation. UVA
radiation penetrates deep into the skin, affecting the
The sun protection times show when the living skin cells that lie under the skins surface. UVA
UV Index is forecast to be 3 or above. causes long-term damage like wrinkles, blotchiness,
sagging and roughening, and also contributes to skin
What is SPF? cancer. UVB radiation penetrates the top layer of skin
Sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 4 and is the main cause of skin damage and skin
and above are listed on the Australian Register of the cancer. Broad-spectrum sunscreen filters both UVA
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Therapeutic Goods Administration. Products can and UVB radiation.
only be listed on the register if they comply with the
Australian/New Zealand Standard for sunscreen Whats in sunscreen and how does it work?
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products (AS/NZS 2604:2012). The highest SPF for Sunscreens contain ingredients that absorb UV
sunscreen available in Australia is SPF50+. The SPF radiation. Examples include octyl methoxycinnamate
number is only a guide to a sunscreens protection. (OMC) and methylbenzylidene camphor, prime UVB
filters; and butyl methoxycinnamate, a prime UVA
filter.
Sunscreen
Some ingredients absorb and reflect UV radiation, How long can you keep sunscreen?
such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are Check the expiry date and storage conditions on the
also prime UVA and UVB filters. label. Most sunscreens last about two to three years.
They should be stored at a temperature below 30C.
Is sunscreen safe to use? If left in excessive heat (e.g. in the glove box of a hot
There is clear evidence that regular use of car or in the sun on the beach), over time, the product
sunscreens helps prevent skin cancer. Long-term may not work as well.
studies of sunscreen use in Australia have found no
5,6
harmful effects of regular use. Sunscreen use and vitamin D
Regular use of sunscreen when the UV radiation level
The Therapeutic Goods Administration monitors the reaches 3 or above does not greatly decrease vitamin
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scientific literature regarding the safety of specific D levels over time. Sunscreen tested in laboratory
ingredients of sunscreens. Its conclusions are that conditions does block vitamin D production, however
there is no evidence that sunscreens containing these regular use in real life has been shown to have little
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ingredients pose any risk to those using them. There effect on vitamin D levels. This is because people
have been questions raised about the safety of dont usually use enough sunscreen, so UV can still
sunscreens that contain nanoparticles. The available reach the skin. Those people who use sunscreen also
evidence suggests that nanoparticles used in tend to spend more time in the sun, so are more likely
8 12
sunscreens do not pose a risk to health. to have higher vitamin D levels.
Which sunscreen should I use? Further information and resources
Sunscreen can be bought as a cream, lotion, milk or More information is available at sunsmart.com.au.
gel. Choose one that best suits your skin type and UV-protective clothing and accessories can be
activity and that you find easy to reapply. If you have purchased at the Cancer Council Victorias shop or
sensitive skin and have had a reaction to a online at cancervic.org.au/store.
sunscreen, try a fragrance-free product. If you dont
want sunscreen residue to remain on your hands, a References
gel may work best for you.
1 Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australian Regulatory Guidelines for OTC
Medicines: Sunscreens. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Health & Ageing 2003.
Not all sunscreens contain the same ingredients. If 2 Standards Australia, Standards New Zealand. Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZ
2604:2012. Sunscreen products evaluation and classification.
your skin reacts to one sunscreen, talk to a chemist or 3 Schalka S, Silva dos Reis VM, Cuc LC. The influence of the amount of sunscreen
doctor about choosing one with different ingredients. applied and its sun protection factor (SPF): Evaluation of two sunscreens including the
same ingredients at different concentrations. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology &
Photomedicine 2009;25(4):17580.
Dont rely on price as an indication of sunscreen 4 Schneider J. The teaspoon rule of applying sunscreen. Archives of Dermatology
2002;138(6):8389.
quality. Make sure the sunscreen you choose is at 5 van der Pols JC, Williams GM, Pandeya N, Logan V, Green AC. Prolonged prevention
of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin by regular sunscreen use. Cancer Epidemiology,
least SPF30, broad-spectrum and within its use-by Biomarkers & Prevention 2006;15(12):25468.
6 Green AC, Williams GM, Logan V, Strutton GM. Reduced melanoma after regular
date. sunscreen use: randomized trial follow-up. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2011;29(3):257
63.
7 Therapeutic Goods Administration. TGA fact sheet: Sunscreens. Commonwealth
Sunscreen and babies Department of Health and Ageing 2010. Retrieved from:
http://www.tga.gov.au/safety/alerts-medicine-sunscreens-051202.htm on 21 June 2012
The Australasian College of Dermatologists states 8 Therapeutic Goods Administration. Literature review on the safety of titanium dioxide
and zinc oxide nanoparticles in sunscreens. Commonwealth Department of Health and
that because very young babies (less than six months Ageing: Canberra, Australia 2013. Available from http://tga.gov.au/industry/sunscreens-
of age) absorb more of any chemical applied to the nanoparticles-review-2013.htm
9 Marks R, Foley PA, Jolley D, Knight KR, Harrison J, Thompson SC. The effect of
skin than adults, the widespread regular use of regular sunscreen use on vitamin-D levels in an Australian population results of a
randomized controlled trial. Archives of Dermatology 1995;131(4):41521.
chemical sunscreens is not recommended. The 10 Farrerons J, Barnadas M, Rodrguez J, Renau A, Yoldi B, Lpez-Navidad A, Moragas
American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that J. Clinically prescribed sunscreen (sun protection factor 15) does not decrease serum
vitamin D concentration sufficiently either to induce changes in parathyroid function or in
sunscreens may be used on infants younger than six metabolic markers. British Journal of Dermatology 1998;139(3):4227.
11 Norval M, Wulf HC. Does chronic sunscreen use reduce vitamin D production to
months on small areas of skin if adequate clothing insufficient levels? British Journal of Dermatology 2009;161(4):7326.
and shade are not available. 12 Jayaratne N, Russell A, van der Pols JC. Sun protection and vitamin D status in an
Australian subtropical community. Preventive Medicine 2012;55(2):14650.
Many brands of sunscreen have a baby or toddler This information is based on current available evidence at the
time of review. It can be photocopied for distribution.
formula. These are just as protective, but much Updated: January 2017
gentler on their skin. Look for sunscreens that have
been dermatologically tested for sensitive skin.
