To avoid premature ageing or skin cancer, it is important to use daily facial sunscreen. This is all the more important if you are pregnant or using the oral contraceptive pill, as this puts you at risk of “pregnancy mask.” Choose a texture that best suits your skin such as a comfort cream for dry skin, a non-comedogenic gel for oily skin or a fresh mist if you like rubbing cream in.
Dermatologists recommend wearing hats, sunglasses and protective clothing as well as seeking shade when the sun is at its strongest. But sunscreen is at the core of sun protection strategies and cannot be omitted from your routine. ANTHELIOS sunscreens undergo rigorous testing on even the most sensitive skin to ensure total safety.
Both of the primary filters in La Roche-Posay’s ANTHELIOS range, Mexoryl SX and Mexoryl XL, have been extensively tested with regard to marine environments. In ecotoxicology testing, 5 weeks’ exposure to these filters at concentrations higher than those found in sea water neither induced coral bleaching nor had any negative effect on the coral’s symbiotic micro-algae.
SPF stands for “sun protection factor”. It relates to your sunscreen’s ability to protect skin against UVB rays which cause burning. The higher the number, the greater the protection. When in the sun, you are recommended to apply a minimum of SPF 30 every 2 hours. A golfball-sized amount is required for the whole body.
Absolutely not! Spray tans react with dead cells at skin’s surface to “dye” the skin. This has no bearing whatsoever on the skin’s defences against the sun. Spray tanning is much safer than conventional tanning, but you must continue to protect your skin from the sun after a spray tan using broad-spectrum UVA-UVB sunscreen.
Is sunscreen safe to use? You may have read or heard about claims that sunscreen can actually cause cancer. The truth is that these claims are misleading and lack any evidence base. No data published to date shows any adverse health effects in humans due to the regular use of sunscreen, whereas its protective effect against skin cancer has been widely demonstrated.
The bottom line is that it is the sun, and not sunscreen, that causes skin cancer.
With an expert dermatological brand like La Roche-Posay, which rigorously tests its products on the most vulnerable skin, you are in safe hands. Our mission has always been to promote and protect public health, offering maximum sun protection suitable for even the most sensitive and vulnerable skin: From babies to seniors.
But what about the environment? La Roche-Posay Laboratories take the possibility of any environmental impact into account at every stage of product development. As part of the Sharing Beauty with All program,
La Roche-Posay ensures that 100% of our final products are meticulously evaluated in terms of environmental and social performance at every step of their life cycle, in order to strongly progress on 4 major criteria:
- environmental footprint of our formula (biodegradability, impact on aquatic life, renewability, etc.)
- raw material sourcing
- packaging
- product social benefits
Both of the sun filters used in La Roche-Posay suncare, Mexoryl XL and SX, have been tested on corals. Even extreme concentrations of these filters in sea water have been proven to have no bleaching effect on coral.
In the article below, you will find further information about the robust steps taken by La Roche-Posay to ensure its sun products protect skin, while respecting the environment.
38% of people still don’t regularly protect themselves from UV*. ANTHELIOS products make everyday sun protection easy.
*Source: Skin cancer prevention global report - IPSOS LRP - February 2015
Safety standards beyond international cosmetics regulations.
