The Skin Society Natural Skin Care and Psoriasis treatments
Two new photo stable broad-spectrum UV filters MBBT (Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol) and BEMT (Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl) Manufactured by CIBA Switzerland, show higher UVA-PF’s protection than the conventional Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide and BMBM (Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane) and Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate or Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate.
Those names are a mouth full but is the way they appears on the product label according to the INCI regulation (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients)
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl, is not at the time of this writing approved to be used in the US, however the manufacturer hope that they will get the green light for the summer. It’s already approved in Japan, Australia and Europe.
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol is the newest product approved, and probably at this times the best to use in day moisturizers. In the past is always been the formulator dilemma to formulate a good day moisturizer and still have some room in the formula for other ingredient such as: Emollients, Botanical Extracts, Anti Oxidants and eventually some Anti Wrinkles. The Challenge is that for any 1% of sunscreens material you gain 2 points on the SPF Scale. With those new products we can reduce that number as much as 20 to 50 % which can be a considerable advantage in manufacturing better Day Moisturizers with SPF of 20 to 30. In my opinion an SPF of 20 is the higher end for good moisturizer, past this limit let just call it a Sun block and remove it from the day moisturizer list.(Sun blocks are mislabeled) There is no real sun blocks. A good product will contain many differents sunscreens material, some time up to 5: Including Zinc Oxide,Titanium Dioxide, Ethyl Hexyl Salicilate,(UVB absorbers) Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (UVA absorbers). With a combination of a total of 10% to 15% of those combined material, we can formulate a Day Moisturizer with a SPF of approximately 15 to 20%. All sun care product on the market today contains several different sunscreens, this is due to the fact each one of sunscreens activity plateau at a certain level of concentration and required some additional help in order to arrive to a High factor of protection. The addition of, three and maybe more sunscreens could be necessary to arrive at the desired SPF level. So do not be concerned, if when you read the label on your sunscreen bottle, you cannot make sense of it. Sunscreens SPF level are regulated and checked by the FDA and are mostly safe.
Ingredients to look for on the label are: Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol is the newest product approved. An other good one is Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane also Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. Ethyl Hexyl Salicilate, (Heliopan) Those are the name on the label (INCI) names.
Also be aware that a very high content of sun screen chemicals might add to the possibility of allergic reaction on sensitive skin
Mike A. Hegi, PhD.
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