Science creates sunscreen against UVA rays, the most harmful to skin – 04/20/2023

It is estimated that 70% of the solar radiation a person receives in their lifetime did not hit their skin because they were enjoying mornings by the pool, holidays on the beach or Sundays in the park.

If we go out there without any protection, the daily sun is to blame for wrinkles, blemishes, and diseases like the dreaded cancer. Yes, what makes all of this more fun is that sun trickling over our heads on the streets where we walk or that comes in through the windows.

And until today – literally today, Thursday, the 20th – there was nothing in Brazil that would shield us from a large part of its rays, which would be more specifically UVA (Ultraviolet A). nothing at all.

By the way, the technology capable of absorbing this radiation, developed over more than a decade of research by the French company L’Oreal, was launched in Europe only last year. Baptized Mexoryl 400, it has already produced six scientific articles in heavy publications and is considered a unique revolution.

“Before, it was like there was a hole where the sun came in and we couldn’t cover it,” says MD Sergio Chalca, former president of the SBD (Brazilian Society of Dermatology) and coordinator of the Brazilian consensus on photoprotection.

Continuing with this idea, I’ll give you an idea of ​​the “hole”: only a minority, or 5%, of the solar radiation that reaches Earth without being stopped by the ozone layer in the atmosphere is the famous UVB (ultraviolet radiation). B). The rest, the vast majority of the 95%, is UVA – with 30% being UVA, with a range of 380 to 400 nanometers, a billionth of a meter.

But don’t think that the novelty is causing a stir among dermatologists just because of the quantity. UVA rays already do a great deal of damage, with malignancies among them worth noting. And pay close attention, it is more worrisome to have darker complexions – which, in Brazil with such a variety of colours, makes the possibility of its prevention more than welcome.

And every time it’s time to protect yourself. Very long UVA rays strike the same way as long as daylight lasts. It is present from morning until late afternoon, in contrast to UV rays, which are concentrated between 10 am and 3 pm, and peak around noon.

“They are also found in about the same proportion in summer and winter,” says Dr. Shalka. “They are able to pass through car windows and clouds in the sky on completely cloudy days.”