Must I wear sunscreen daily?

There’s a litany of evidence that shows daily use of sunscreen helps prevent cancer, says The Kit’s editor-at-large

I’ve read a lot of articles saying some sunscreen ingredients are bad for you. Should I keep wearing my sunscreen? I feel so confused and frustrated. — Lorraine, Toronto I get a similar shiver when I see a headline about how kale is reportedly as filled with pesticides as it is with antioxidants.

To get some actual peer-reviewed data about what sunscreen is good for — and what harm it may be causing — I called Dr. Jennifer Beecker, a national expert on skin cancer detection and prevention.

She founded the Pigmented Lesion and Melanoma Clinic at the Ottawa Hospital academic teaching centre.

“It’s been confusing for people lately,” Dr. Beecker agreed.

“But based on scientific evidence, there are a few reasons to wear sunscreen: Health reasons like skin cancer prevention, and cosmetic reasons like protection against photo-aging.”

Though Beecker acknowledges it can be scary to read confusing information about ingredients, she advises taking a breath before ditching your lotions.

“Fundamentally, you have to put the magnitude of risk in perspective.

“One in seven Canadians get skin cancer and the large majority — 95 per cent plus — of skin cancers are from the sun or from UV radiation, so there is a basic need to prevent that.”

And there is a litany of evidence that shows daily use of sunscreen helps prevent cancer. (A thorough multi-year Australian study showed a 50 per cent reduction in melanoma.)

Many sunscreens are made up of several chemical filters mixed together to protect from UVA (essentially, the rays that age your skin) and UVB rays (the ones that burn you).

“There has been a lot of concern lately in the media about the use of certain sunscreen filters, like oxybenzone. Some filters can be harmful to the environment and some could be absorbed by your skin,” Beecker explained.

“The FDA put out a statement in February, for example, saying that, for certain ingredients, they didn’t have as much safety data as they would like.

“Now an absence of data doesn’t mean anything is bad. It means that there isn’t enough data to say if it’s good either.”

Beecker still wears sunscreen every day. (Her skin looks so good that patients are always asking her for her secret regime: “The only thing I ever use is sunscreen. It’s not hard.”)

She brings us to the secondary reason to wear sunscreen daily: Protecting your skin from the ravages of photo-aging.

UVA rays from the sun (which also pass through your car, home and office windows) affect the texture and clarity of your skin.

“There are studies that show the faces of people who have worked next to the same window every day for 30 years and you can see the toll it’s taken on their face,” she explained.

“I myself examine patients all the time and see the difference between the skin on their face and the skin on their abdomen, which is typically covered, so it’s quickly apparent what the effects are of photo-aging.”

So Beecker’s advice for those who worry about sunscreen ingredients is not to shelve your protection, but rather to use common sense (stay out of the sun during peak hours! Wear a hat and long sleeves!) and stick to a strictly “physical blocker” type of sunscreen that relies on minerals like zinc to shield your skin from sun damage without chemicals.

Though there is lots of info about what percentage of minerals should be used, Beecker said we basically don’t have to worry about it.

The products are tested extensively by Health Canada and so “if it has at least SPF 30 and says ‘broad spectrum’ on the label, then you should be covered for daily wear.”

The main barrier keeping you from receiving proper protection from your sunscreen is more likely … you.

“People under-apply sunscreen, using half to a quarter of the amount they are supposed to, according to many studies,” Beecker said.

She suggested applying a full teaspoon of sunscreen to your face in the morning and two-to-three tablespoons to your body, and then add your makeup.

“If you apply enough sunscreen and do it properly, you really don’t need to reapply unless you’re swimming or sweating profusely.”

She added: “I always tell people that the three most important and effective things to use in order to prevent aging are: “Sunscreen, sunscreen and sunscreen,” Beecker said with a laugh. “That’s what we have real data to support.”