Winter Sun Protection

It is commonly misunderstood that once summer has ended and winter has begun that the danger caused by sunlight or “radiation” has disappeared. That is NOT true. Even in winter or on cloudy days the injury caused by UVA and UVB is chronic from its multi-seasonal UMULATIVE effect anytime on inadequately protected skin. This situation is only made worse with the absence of topical protective and healing nutrients.

In the colder seasons, their cumulative injury is progressive and relentless without the obvious sunburn “ouch” or noticeable tan. This is aggravated by 80% of the intensity of sunlight reflected off snow onto exposed and unprotected skin.

Ultraviolet (UVA and UVB) rays are a powerful form of damaging radiation that penetrate into your skin, injuring all its layers, causing all three types of skin cancer and triggering cascades of oxidation and other toxic compounds. From birth, its cumulative injurious effects cause skin
aging wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and dryness.

But doesn’t my high SPF sunscreen protect me from all those UVA and UVB sunrays? No! All that a high SPF will try to do is to allow you to have more time being irradiated until you get “burned.” And SPF is only a measure for UVB protection, not for any UVA blocking action.
Another thing to be aware of is that much of the damage is done by all that pre-burn irradiation. Most light clothing does not protect against UVA and UVB irradiation, and when the clothing is wet, additional rays penetrate and damage your skin.

There are also harmful topical ingredients in sunscreens and skin care products that can exacerbate the dangers to your skin. The following are particularly DANGEROUS in both the winter and summer sun: Ascorbyl palmitate (C-ester): In 2002 the prestigious Mayo Clinic
studies found a “…widespread use of ascorbyl plamitate in numerous over-the-counter topical skin care products and sunscreens.” They noted that following physiologic doses of sunlight this chemical form of vitamin C was “toxic to epidermal (skin) cells.” Numerous skin care and sunscreen products contain concentration of ascorbyl Palmitate, 1,000 times more than the concentrations the Mayo Clinic found to be poisonous to epidermal cells.

Aloe vera: When exposed to sunlight causes gene mutations seen in skin tumors. Studies showed its potential to cause malignant melanoma cancer. Fibroblast skin cell death (apoptosis) occurs when skin treated with aloe vera is exposed to sunlight.

Alpha hydroxy acid: When applied to the skin, it strips the protective stratum corneum, the outer skin layer of dead epithelial cells and the fatty sebum, from the live epidermis exposing healthy skin layers to the injurious effects of sunlight, in winter or summer, as the FDA warned in 2002. In 2003 the FDA warned: “…these acids might peel away layers of the skin to the point where sunlight can damage DNA in cells at the skin’s deepest levels and promote cancer.”

Retinoic acid, Tretinoin, dermabrasion, chemical and laser skin peels: These treatments also denude the skin surface protective layer, some very deeply, all increasing the risks for photo-damage, aging, lowering the skin’ s immune system and increasing the risk of cancer in any sunlight without intensive protection and a therapeutic skin treatment with skin healing nutrients.

Avobenzone (Parsol 1789): The UVA protection you expect from Avobenzone (Parsol 1789), which is found in many sunscreens, does not last. In fact, a study in 2005 documented that “after two hours of sunlight, the preparation containing the Avobenzone (Parsol 1789); 4-tert-butyl-4’ - methoxy-dibenzoyl-methane {BM-DBM}) lost 85% of its UVA absorbance.”
Another 2005 research study of Avobenzone showed that instead of preventing free radical (oxidant) generation after UVA irradiation, these researchers discovered that “this product produced free radicals detected by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy that persisted even after the exposure had ended.”