It‘s All in the Filter - The optimal sunscreen

Attention all sun worshipers! Summer’s here, and the outdoor swimming pools are open. It’s time to get out your cool sunglasses, new bikini, and colorful flip flops. And don’t forget to bring one more important item: a high-quality sunscreen. It should be easily applied and rapidly absorbed by the skin, and must provide perfect protection, without leaving a telltale white film. But this “whitewashing” effect, usually a characteristic feature of mineral UV filters, is now history. Sunscreen products made with mineral filters from the research labs of Evonik Industries prevent this unsightly white film from developing on the skin.

The properties of the UV filters in sunscreens are important to sunbathers. Sunscreens with mineral or inorganic light protection filters are clearly superior to products with chemical filters. The substances in inorganic filters reflect sunlight striking the surface of the skin, while chemical filters absorb the sun’s energy and convert it into heat. The components of chemical filters penetrate the outer layers of the skin and may cause intolerance or allergies in persons with sensitive skin. For this reason, dermatologists recommend inorganic filters, which are gentle to the skin and are well tolerated. Moreover, the substances in inorganic filters act immediately on application, while products with chemical filters need half an hour to work effectively. Thanks to these advantages, the proportion of sunscreen products with inorganic UV filters continues to grow.

Inorganic titanium dioxide and zinc oxide filter particles from Evonik offer other key advantages that make them particularly attractive to users of sunscreen cosmetics: They are distinguished by a high sun protection factor, are effective even at relatively low concentrations, and offer reliable protection over an extended period because they are photostable and do not decompose in sunlight. Moreover, the filter protects not only against the UV-B radiation, which is mainly responsible for sunburn, but also against much of the longer wavelength UV-A radiation, which causes premature aging of the skin and makes the body more vulnerable to skin cancer. In 2007 labeling of sunscreen products to indicate the level of UV-A protection was standardized throughout the European Union and, beginning this summer, will be mandatory for all producers. Sunscreens checked for UV-B protection that also offer adequate UV-A protection will in the future be identified by a UVA logo printed on the packaging.

But even the best sunscreen can work only if applied all over the skin. Headgear, suitable clothing, and a good pair of sunglasses are also important because UV light also damages the eyes. Sunscreen products must not be used after their expiration dates. We recommend that you finish an opened receptacle and treat yourself to a new one the following season.

About Evonik
Evonik Industries is the creative industrial group from Germany which operates in three business areas: Chemicals, Energy and Real Estate. Evonik is a global leader in specialty chemicals, an expert in power generation from hard coal and renewable energies, and one of the largest private residential real estate companies in Germany. Our strengths are creativity, specialization, continuous self-renewal, and reliability. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In its fiscal year 2008 about 41,000 employees generated sales of about €15.9 billion and an operating profit (EBITDA) of about €2.2 billion.

Alexandra Boy
Corporate Press
Phone +49 201 177-3423
Fax +49 201 177-3030
alexandra.boy@evonik.com

Ruben Thiel
Corporate Press
Phone +49 201 177-4299
Fax +49 201 177-3030
ruben.thiel@evonik.com

Text and images available to download at
www.evonik.com
May be reproduced free of charge, provided source is stated

Evonik Industries AG
Rellinghauser Strasse 1-11
45128 Essen
Germany
www.evonik.com

This release was published on openPR.