Vitamin C Puts Squeeze on Sun
When youth-conscious folks began slathering Retin-A on their faces a few years back, skeptics smirked that the Vitamin A derivative could not arrest aging. But the critics didn’t laugh long.
Next up? Vitamin C may earn its place in the sun, too. Applied to the skin, Vitamin C protects against sunburn, Duke University researchers reported last week at the Society for Investigative Dermatology meeting in Seattle.
Ten volunteers applied Vitamin C compound to one arm and the same compound without Vitamin C on the other, not knowing which was which. Next, both arms were exposed to ultraviolet B light, wavelengths that cause sunburn, blistering and skin cancer. Vitamin C-coated arms were protected from sunburn, says Dr. Sheldon Pinnell, chief of dermatology at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.
Vitamin C works differently from sunscreens, Pinnell explains. Sunscreens prevent some ultraviolet rays from getting through to the skin; Vitamin C works by destroying the harmful chemicals that form after the rays penetrate the skin.
But don’t expect to find Vitamin C lotion at the drugstore this season. It will take two years or so before it’s on store shelves, pending FDA approval, Pinnell says.
Meanwhile, here is the experts’ advice on staying sun-smart.
* Control exposure to harmful rays. “About 90% of the most damaging rays are concentrated during the period from 10 am. until 3 p.m.,” says Dr. Daniel Gross, a Tarzana dermatologist and president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Wearing protective clothing helps. Two popular hat styles--visors and baseball caps--are mediocre choices, Gross says, because they don’t provide enough coverage. “A Scarlett O’Hara-type of big brim hat is best,” he says.
* Buy the right sunglasses. Minimizing sunlight exposure to the eyes can reduce the risk of cataracts. Wraparound styles provide the best protection, according to guidelines issued by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The darkest lenses aren’t necessarily the best. Look for labels indicating ultraviolet absorption ability or a label verifying that the glasses meet standards set by the American National Standards Institute.
* Get smart about sunscreen. The American Academy of Dermatology advises everyone--regardless of skin color--to use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15.
