TOP ANTI-AGING BREAKTHROUGHS (Part 2)

Top Anti-aging Breakthroughs (Part 2)

We continue to present the second of a three part series on the top anti-aging scientific breakthroughs to help in your quest for your best skin ever. In the first part, we mentioned Nano-encapsulation Technology and Fractional Lasers. Here are the next two breakthroughs.

Dermal Fillers

Perhaps nothing is more gratifying for patients than having an immediate correction of wrinkles after a filler injection. Dermal filler injection is one of the most popular procedures at SkinStation. We can use dermal fillers to volumize any part of the face, to sculpt a more natural youthful look without surgery. Nonsurgical rhinoplasty, lip augmentation, volumizing of cheeks, and filling up lines in nasolabial folds are among the most popular procedures. These fillers have effects lasting for one year, with new variants claiming to last up to 2 years. But the benefits go beyond these timelines. These fillers can lead to robust increase in collagen production for longer lasting anti-aging results. 

Since 1981, bovine collagen was used as dermal filler, with effects lasting for only 3 months. The breakthrough came in 2003 with the approval by the FDA of hyaluronic acid, marketed under the Restylane brand. Perlane and Juvederm followed shortly, using similar variants of synthetic hyaluronic acid. The wrinkle injection market soared to new heights with these approvals by the FDA. Recently, the FDA approved Artefill and Radiesse, each using a different substance to fill wrinkles. 

Anti-aging Sunscreens 

A new 4-year study in Australia showed that daily use of sunscreen resulted in 24% reduction in signs of aging. We can now look at sunscreen not just as a protection against aging. It can also reverse signs of aging.

DERMAX UV MILK
Anti-Aging Sunscreen

However, not just any sunscreen will do.  Your sunscreen must work against the damaging and aging effects of UVA rays. New breakthrough ingredients are now available to protect against UVA rays. Look for the broad-spectrum label. Check the PA rating, the measure of protection against UVA rays. The maximum rating is PA+++.

DERMAX UV MILK anti-aging sunscreen has the maximum PA+++ rating, plus a milky, non-greasy feel that’s best for daily use. 

What about SPF? This refers only to protection against burning UVB rays. Most sunscreens will effectively protect against UVB rays, even at a “low” SPF30. Save for a few field related work, there is no real risk of getting sunburn in our day-to-day activities. The marketing hypes on high SPF sunscreens are simply just that…hypes.

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This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on November 26, 2013. The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. Skin Smart aims to clarify facts and myths on skin care. Send your questions and comments to info@skinstation.ph. 

DO YOU REALLY NEED A 100+ SPF?

Do You Really Need a 100+ SPF?

Competition for higher SPF claims among sunscreen products is as intense as the summer heat. The advertising messages tend to mislead many into thinking that a 100+ SPF is twice as good as the one with a 50 SPF. But that is farthest from the truth.

Let’s look at the facts. A sunscreen with SPF 15 blocks about 93% of UVB rays; SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays; and SPF 50 blocks about 98% of UVB rays. Beyond SPF 50, any additional sun protection would be insignificant. No sunscreen will block 100 percent of UVB rays.

If you have fair skin, you normally would develop sunburn in 10 minutes, in full sun without sun protection. A 30 SPF sunscreen would provide protection 30 times longer. That means 300 minutes before you start to burn. That’s 5 hours. A 50 SPF would protect you for 500 minutes. That is more than 8 hours!

The USFDA has already proposed prohibiting sunscreen claims beyond SPF 50, which tend to be “misleading to the consumer,” given that there is an “absence of data demonstrating additional clinical benefit” (FDA 2011a), and that “there is no assurance that the specific values themselves are in fact truthful…” (FDA 2007).

Do not get the idea that with a high SPF rating, one application of sunscreen would be enough to protect you all day. You of course need to reapply after swimming, drying off or sweating. You also need to reapply every two hours. Sunscreen ingredients are like sponges that absorb radiation and lose their protective power as they reach saturation point.

Beyond SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 50,
the marketing difference is plain HYPE.

Note that SPF measures only protection against UVB rays, which cause sunburns, but not UVA rays, which can be more damaging to body tissues and cause wrinkles and premature aging. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin than UVB rays. Protection against UVA rays could be a more important consideration when choosing your sunscreen, especially for daily use.

How is protection against UVA rays measured? Most brands have adopted the PA system (Protection Grade of UVA) to measure protection against UVA rays. The PA system is based on the persistent pigment darkening (PPD) method, which uses UVA radiation to cause persistent darkening of the skin. A PPD rating of 10 should allow a person 10 times as much UVA exposure as would be without protection. PA+ corresponds to a PPD rating between 2 and 4, PA++ between 4 and 8, and the highest rating at PA+++, more than 8.

Be skin smart in choosing your sunscreen product. And remember that the first line of defense against harmful radiation would be shade, protective clothing and avoiding the midday sun.

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Skin Smart seeks to clarify facts and myths on skin care. This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on April 23, 2013. The author  received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry.  The author is the CEO of SkinStation and can be reached at fred.reyes@skinstation.ph.