10 second read
“Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?”….
…. And an endless supply of Avène Emulsion SPF 50+? Enough said.
Happy Skin Days’ sunscreen test
This is as close to perfection as a sunscreen comes to and yes, it is pricey at INR 1,447 for 50ml but its worth it.
Why is this my no 1 sunscreen suggestion?
We want sunscreens to contain BOTH UVA and UVB filters… UVA filters protect mainly against photo-damage (wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation and loss of skin elasticity). UVB filters protect mainly against reddening of the skin (erythema), sunburn and skin cancer.
“Made in India” sunscreens contain both UVA and UVB filters – in fact, the majority use the gold standard UVA filter, Avobenzone. There is no better UVA filter.
The problem – and this is a recurrent theme in Made in India sunscreens, is that these sunscreens are not photostable. There is no point using a sunscreen with Gazillion amounts of Avobenzone if it all starts to break down as soon as it comes out of the tube.
We are lulled into this false sense of security that our sunscreen protects us against UVA damage but it doesn’t and all that happens is we are receiving extra doses of UVA…
This sunscreen has no one of these problems
In fact it contains newer filters that are:
- Photostable
- Heavy molecules (which means there is minimal absorption via your skin. All the problems with old school filters, like Oxybenzone, are irrelevant).
- Stabilise Avobenzone.
The filters in this product are:
- UVB filter: Uvinul HEB – its one of the best UVB filters around. In fact the SPF 50+ rating is only permitted in the EU, if the product is SPF 60 and above.
- UVB/UVA filter: Biscotrizole and BEMT – both of which provide protection against UVB and UVA.
- UVA filter: Avobenzone, which is an excellent UVA filter. Its also very photo unstable and reduces in efficacy by 50%-90% within 60 minutes of exposure to UV radiation.
BEMT is also one of the most effective ways to stabilise Avobenzone effectively.
All these ingredients work together in harmony to give effective UVA and UVB protection. These are the absorption peaks of Biscotrizole and BEMT:
- Biscotrizole is 305nm and 360nm. UVB is 290-320nm and UVA is 320-400nm
- BEMT is 310nm and 340nm
Made in EU compliant sunscreen
All made in EU sunscreens comply with specific sunscreen regulations (see Note 2 below). These include: one-third of the SPF must contribute towards UVA protection, which this product does.
Closing remarks
There are some sunscreens which on paper say they have certain UVA protection factor and SPF – the reality is very different. I don’t believe this to be the case with Avene. It is one of the most well respected and reputed brands around. Plus owing to its popularity in Europe it very likely is tested by academics and scientists on a regular basis.
That’s it from me (for today). Please let me know if you have any queries or I’d love to hear your suggestions so please write to me. Click on “EMAIL ME” for my address. I look forward to hearing from you!
Notes
(1) See What damage is sunscreen trying to prevent for a detailed explanation on UVA and UVB damage
(2) To better understand EU regulation of sunscreen, see section 1D of this blog. You can also find more details on the critical wavelength test in this blog
Critical Wavelength test
Sunscreens can only carry the words “broad spectrum” if they have passed this test: the absorbance of the sunscreens is tested at 1nm wavelengths between 290nm and 400nm.
The area under the curve represents absorbance of UVA and UVB: 90% of this area between 290 nm and 400nm has to occur at 370nm (called the critical wavelength). This is a pass or fail test.
(3) INCI names of filters (the longer name…)
Uvinul HEB: Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
Biscotrizole: Methylene Bis-Benzotriazoyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (Nano)
Bemotrizinol or BEMT: Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol, Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Avobenzone: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
See also Top 5 Sunscreen Recommendations, Do You Know Your Filters?, Guide to Buying Sun Protection, Do You Understand The Gibberish on Sunscreen Labels?