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Avon produce a sunscreen that uses a grade A UVA filter, namely Avobenzone. Then, they fail to properly stabilise it, giving the user inadequate protection against UVA radiation. (UVA damage includes tanning and photoaging (hyper-pigmentation, loss of skin elasticity, wrinkles) etc).
Happy Skin Days’s sunscreen test
1) Harmful chemicals?
The harmful chemicals present are Benzophenone-3 (or Oxybenzone) and Parabens (methylparaben).
Oxybenzone is a hormonal disruptor and known skin-allergen. Parabens are cheap and effective preservatives, that are beloved by manufacturers. They are potentially estrogen mimickers.
It’s the policy of this blog to avoid sunscreens with parabens and Oxybenzone
(see also Chemicals to Avoid – Oxybenzone, Chemicals to Avoid – Parabens)
3) UVA and UVB filters
UVA filters protect against the damage caused by UVA radiation, which in a nutshell is photo-damage (wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation and loss of skin elasticity). UVB filters protect mainly against UVB radiation, namely reddening of the skin (erythema), sunburn and skin-cancer. UVB/UVA filters combine the function of UVA and UVB filters.
The filters present are:
UVB: Homosalate, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (or Octinoxate) and Ethylhexyl salicylate (or Octisalate).
UVA and UVB: Oxybenzone which is a weak filter and its likely being used to stabilise Octinoxate and Avobenzone
UVA: Avobenzone
It’s likely this product has sufficient filters for the SPF rating….but the problem is the ineffective UVA protection offered by this product.
4) The Avobenzone paradox
The primary UVA filter is Avobenzone, that is a gold standard UVA filter but its notoriously photounstable.
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 must be stabilised using other ingredients. This product does this by using Oxybenzone. BUT its not enough because this sunscreen also has Octinoxate. Octinoxate makes itself and Avobenzone less effective UV absorbers. (Click on LINK for more information).
Closing remarks
In the US, manufacturers also rely on Avobenzone to provide UVA protection. In the 113 sunscreens containing Avobenzone that I have analysed not one contains Octinoxate.
Combining Octinoxate and Avobenzone is a faux pas that I expect an international brand like Avon NOT TO make. But it does.
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!
See also: Top 5 sunscreen recommendations, Do You Understand The Gibberish On Sunscreen Labels? Myths About Sun-Protection