Happy Skin Days sunscreen test
My view: Give it a miss. The issue lies in the combination of filters
3) UVA and UVB filters are both present
Both UVA and UVB have both been implicated in skin cancer and photo-aging and we want filters to protect against both types of damage. UVA filters protect mainly against photoaging (hyper-pigmentation, age spots, loss of skin elasticity, wrinkles and dryness). UVB filters protect mainly against reddening of the skin (erythema), sunburn and skin cancer.
Filters present are:
- UVB Filters
- Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate) (7th ingredient out of 28 listed ingredients or “7/28”)
- UVB/UVA Filter
- Titanium Dioxide (13/28).
- UVA Filter
- Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (or Avobenzone) (14/28).
The main UVB filter is Octinoxate, which is an effective UVB absorber. This is not the problem with this product.
3a) The UVA filter debacle
The primary UVA filter is Avobenzone,a gold standard UVA filter that is notoriously photo-unstable.
Available evidence shows Avobenzone degrades quickly upon exposure to sunlight, reducing its efficacy by as much as 50 and 90 per cent after 60 minutes of exposure.
Avobenzone needs multiple photostabilisers and O3+ FORGET to add even one.
Instead, O3+ add Octinoxate. Studies show that when Octinoxate is combined with Avobenzone, both UV filters show less absorbance after UV exposure. It’s for this reason why I haven’t seen Octinoxate combined with Avobenzone in 140+ American sunscreens I have looked at. And in the USA, Avobenzone is found in over 70% of sunscreens.
Similarly, the US does not permit Avobenzone to be combined with either Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide because it results in Avobenzone becoming less stable. Yes, you guessed it – this product has Titanium Dioxide.
Even if this product DOES provide some UVA protection, it does not last 🙂
Click on LINK for more information.
4) Other reasons to pass on this product
This product contains Methylisothiazolinone (MI), which is banned in the European Union (EU) in leave-on products (e.g.) sunscreens, as MI is a contact allergen. The EU reached this decision after finding sufficient data in European countries that showed not only was MI a contact allergen but also the number of incidences of contact allergy to MI were increasing.
In the US, the status of MI is under review but in 2013, the American Contact Dermatitis Society named in as “Allergen of the Year.”
Sometimes, Indian regulation on cosmetics lags behind other countries – that’s fine, India has more significant challenges – and that should not stop us from adopting other countries best practices.
Closing remarks
Following the long line of VLCC, Lotus Herbals and Kaya, O3+ falls into “let’s combine Octinoxate with Avobenzone” route. Please drop me a line at email@happyskindays.com if you have any comments.
See also Top 5 Sunscreen Recommendations, Do You Know Your Filters?, How to Buy Sunscreen: UVA cut, Do You Understand The Gibberish on Sunscreen Labels?
Sources and uses: featured image from https://www.o3plus.com/index.php/default/chamomile-hydra-soothing-facial-cream-spf-40.html