Sunscreens-hypoallergenic sunscreens
Sunscreen is the main protection against skin cancer. And since skin cancer is the most common cancer in Denmark, it is important to protect yourself effectively from the sun's harmful UV rays. The fact is that the more sunburns and the higher the lifetime doses of UV radiation, the greater the risk of developing skin cancer.
In their solar campaign the Danish Cancer Society has set up four solar councils:Siesta, sun hat, sunscreenandturn off the solarium. The sun campaign recommends that in Denmark Sunscreen SPF 15 be applied to those parts of the body that are not covered by clothing. And the recommendation is valid even if you just stay directly in the sun for a few minutes. If you have very light skin and/or difficult to tolerate the sun, you can choose an SPF 20 or SPF 30. For very young children and babies it may be appropriate to choose a so-called sunblocker SPF +50.
Read about hypoallergenic sun protection.
Sun filters in the sunscreen
There are two sun filters in a sunscreen that protects the skin from the sun, and these two basic sun filters, can be divided intophysicalfilters andchemicalfilters. The two filters work differently:
The physical filters lays on top of the skin, forming a thin, white film or film that reflects the sun's Rays. Examples of physical solar filters are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
The chemical filters are chemical substances that penetrate and are absorbed into the outer layers of the skin. Here they absorb the sun's rays and translate them into heat, which is carried away through the blood. Chemical solar filters are available in many different permitted versions. Some protect best from UVA rays, others from UVB rays. Examples of chemical filters are: octocrylene and benzophenone.
Sunscreens can cause allergies
Just as ordinary moisturizers can cause allergies, you can also get allergies to the ingredients of sunscreens f.ex. perfume substances or preservatives.
The physical filter (titanium dioxide) is not allergenic, while the chemical sun filters can cause allergies in the skin. The chemical sun filters can cause two different forms of allergy:
- Contact allergy - this type of allergy occurs regardless of whether the chemical solar filter is exposed to sunlight or not. In other words, the allergy occurs when the cream itself and thus the allergenic substance (s) come into contact with the skin. The symptoms(eczema) appears where the skin is in contact with the sunscreen, IE. also in non sunlight exposed places.
- Photo contact allergy - this type of allergy occurs when the chemical solar filter – after penetrating the skin – is altered by the UV rays in a way that creates an allergenic substance. This allergy therefore requires that the chemical in the product is exposed to sunlight and thus UV-irradiated. The symptoms (eczema) occur where you are in contact with the chemical and at the same time exposed to sunlight.
Multiple allergic reactions
Sunscreens have been a relatively rare cause of allergy, but the fact that more people use sunscreens and that several different manufacturers produce sunscreens, in recent years there have naturally also been more reports of both contact allergy and photo contact allergy. The substances octocrylene, benzophenone-3, benzophenone-10 and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate are the chemical sun filters most often reported as the cause of allergy.
If the use of sunscreen causes an allergic reaction, it is important to stop its use immediately. One can possibly. choose to be examined by a dermatologist for allergies, to get clarity and advice on which sunscreens are good to use in the future.
If you want to reduce the risk of an allergic reaction, you can use a sunscreen with the physical filter titanium dioxide. However, it should be borne in mind that although titanium dioxide is not allergenic, there may well be other ingredients in the cream in question that can provoke allergies.
AllergyCertified
If you want to ensure the best possible against allergies - both from physical and chemical sun filters - go for the sunscreens certified by AllergyCertified. In addition to allergenic sun filters, there are unfortunately also many sunscreens that contain substances that are suspected to be endocrine disrupting. When you choose a sunscreen with the AllergyCertified logo, you protect yourself against both allergenic and endocrine disruptors. Likewise AllergyCertified products also do not contain perfume and classified carcinogenic ingredients.
Consumer Council Think
In June 2020, the Consumer Council think made a test of chemistry in sunscreen. Here, the result shows that the solar products certified by AllergyCertified achieve rating A. The a-flask means that the product is a good choice if you want to avoid a number of chemicals of concern. Hos Nulallergi.dk sold exclusively products that are certified by AllergyCertifed including sunscreen. Among allergy-certified sunscreens with the A-flask you will find bl.a. Active by Charlotte I'm hot Sun Spray, Derma Sun lotion and Nile's Earth Face Sun.
Find the right and hypoallergenic sunscreens here
Kære Gertrud
Ifølge AllergyCertifieds toxikolog Ewa, som vi har talt med, er der en del stoffer, som kan give både hud og øjenirritation, og det er en del af AllergyCertifieds risikovurdering at tjekke stofferne for disse reaktioner.
For at undgå hudirritation kan AllergyCErtified normalvis tillade op til max 10% hud irritanter i et færdigt produkt (de tjekker samtlige ingredienser for hudirritation og lægger koncentrationerne sammen). Medmindre det specifikke stof giver irritation i lavere koncentrationer – hvis stoffet giver irritation i eksempelvis helt ned til 2 % – så har de krav om mindre end 2 % i det færdige produkt.
I enkelte produkter kan de tillade en højere koncentration, hvis producenten til gengæld tilsætter et stof, som modvirker irritation. Det kan eksempelvis være hånddesinfektion, hvor høje koncentrationer af alkohol (som er nødvendige for at desinficerer) kan udtørre og irriterer huden.
Her kræves det, at producenten tilsætter glycerin, som modvirker hudirritation.
For produkter såsom ansigtscremer og øjencremer/mascara, øjenskygge mm. tjekker vi i stoffernes MSDS for at se, om de er klassificeret med følgende H-sætninger
H315 Forårsager hudirritation.
H317 Kan forårsage allergisk hudreaktion.
H318 Forårsager alvorlig øjenskade.
H319 Forårsager alvorlig øjenirritation.
Det er desværre ikke muligt for forbrugere at tjekke disse sætninger, da de fremgår af stoffernes sikkerhedsdatablade /MSDS.
Mht til Octocrylene så tillader AllergyCertified ikke Octocrylene, da det kan være allergifremkaldende (særlig hos børn er der observeret reaktioner), og da det samtidig også indeholder Benzophenone, som kan være hormonforstyrrende.
Men Octocrylene er et solfilter, og en del solfiltre kan desværre give irritation i øjenene.
Reaktionen kan skyldes, det solfilter som anvendes (hvis der er solfilter i), eller at den indeholder hud- og/eller øjenirritant. Et andet bud kunne være Aloe vera (der vil så stå Aloe Barbadensis på cremen). Aloe vera kan hos nogen give en prikken og stikkende fornemmelse lige efter påsmøring.
Venligst Tina/Nulallergi