So why are we not protecting our skin against visible light? And, more to the point, how can we protect our skin against visible light? How To Protect Skin Against Visible Light? If you are concerned about the health safety of parabens, then feel free to avoid them by looking out for the Paraben-Free icon. While iron oxide is effective at absorbing all wavelengths of visible light [4], it is particularly effective at absorbing longer UVA radiation and blue light but its effects are less optimal as wavelengths increase [5]. UVA and Blue light (high energy visible – HEV – light) are particularly damaging for skin and adequate protection is not offered from conventional sunscreens [2]. However some sulfates are so good at their job, they can wash off your skin’s own natural oils that keep it moisturised and protected which can lead to dryness and irritation. Lowe, N. (2006). ‘An overview of ultraviolet radiation, sunscreens, and photo-induced dermatoses’, Dermatol Clin., 24, pp. 9 –17.

Hughes, M., Williams, G., Baker, P., Green, A. (2013). ‘Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin Aging: A Randomized Trial’, Annals of Internal Medicine, 158 (11), 781-790. The main concernwith nanoparticles is that they are so tiny that they are absorbedinto the skin more than we want them (ideally sunscreen should remain on the surface of the skin). Once absorbed they might form unwanted complexes with proteins and they might promote the formation of evil free radicals. But do not panic, these are concerns under investigation. A 2009 review article about the safety of nanoparticles summarizes this, "to date, in-vivo and in-vitro studies have not demonstrated percutaneous penetration of nanosized particles in titanium dioxide and zinc oxide sunscreens". The English translation is, so far it looks like sunscreenswith nanoparticlesdo stay on the surface of the skin where they should be. Solar radiation that reaches the surface of the earth is composed mainly of infrared radiation (780-5000nm), visible light (400-780nm), and UV radiation (290-400nm). In fact, infrared radiation accounts for about 53% of solar radiation, visible light accounts for about 39-44%, and UV radiation accounts for about 3-7%. They help loosen up the dirt and grime from your skin and hair to allow for water to wash it away with ease.However, they still do not offer sufficient visible light protection without the addition of iron oxide. Most people will find no issues with sulfate, however if you find your skin doesn't like sulfates then free feel to avoid them by looking out for the sulfate-free icon on Skincarisma. Note: Due to iron oxides natural reddish hue, the majority (if not all) of sunscreens containing iron oxide will be tinted.

If you've ever used a skincare, makeup or beauty product that's made your skin look and feel smoother tempoarily - it's likely contained Silicone. They are a popular class of ingredients found in cosmetics due to their smooth, soft, easy-to-spread and smooth properties that help creates an artificial layer/barrier on top of skin or hair (commonly found in conditioners).UV radiation leads to the production of DNA-damaging free radicals in the skin, decreases collagen and elastin levels within the skin, and causes changes to skin pigmentation. At SkinCarisma, we've done our best to identify as many ingredients as possible but note the fungal-free label may not be 100% accurate due to the complexconditions and combination of ingredients that malezzeria can thrive on. As for the disadvantages, Zinc Oxide is also not cosmetically elegant. It leaves a disturbing whitish tint on the skin , although , according to a 2000research paper by Dr. Pinnell, it's slightlyless white than TiO2. Still, it's white and disturbing enough to use Zinc Oxide nanoparticles more and more often. The first main difference is that while TiO2 gives a nice broad spectrum protection, Zinc Oxide has an even nicerand even broader spectrum protection. It protects against UVB, UVA II, and UVA I almost uniformly, and is considered to be the broadestrange sunscreen available today. There has been some healthy controversy surrounding them due to a few studies finding paraben presence in breast tumours and breast tissue. However, the majority of the scientific community have deemed these findings non-conclusive due to the limitations of these studies.

Key ingredients include Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide minerals to provide broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, together with an antioxidant PHA/Bionic complex to help preserve and strengthen skin. Potent antioxidants Green Tea Extract, Lactobionic Acid & Vitamin E work to neutralize free radicals and help preserve healthy DNA, promoting healthy skin. It also contains iron oxide which protects against Visible Light. Oil-free. Fragrance-free. Non-comedogenic. Non-acnegenic. Dermatologist-developed. Not water-resistant. This mineral sunscreen with iron oxide from Cotz is light-weight, silky, blends well, and leaves a sheer matte finish. It provides a subtle tint that blends in with all skin tones and is water resistant for up to an hour! It’s non-greasy and suitable for both oily skin types as well as sensitive skin. The coverage may not be enough to replace your foundation, but it would make an excellent primer. In addition, the tinted colour is light enough for fair skin. Sunscreen should be at least SPF30 – while there isn’t a huge amount of additional UVB protection offered by SPF50+ sunscreens (SPF30 protects against 97% of UVB rays, while SPF50 protects against 98% of UVB rays), there may be better UVA protection in higher SPFs. This is due to the PPD method that recommends a UVA:UVB ratio of 1:3.

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Parabens are a large group of preservatives which are used to prevent bacteria growing in cosmetic formulations. It'salso highly stableand non-irritating. So much sothat Zinc Oxide also counts as a skin protectant and anti-irritant. It's also often used to treat skin irritationssuch as diaper rash. Kaye, E., Levin, J., Blank, I. et al. (1991). ‘Efficiency of opaque photoprotective agents in the visible light range’, Ach Dermatol, 127(3), pp. 351-355.

A light-weight mineral sunscreen with iron oxide that offers high UVA protection, is paraben free, oil free, and fragrance-free. This sunscreen is hypoallergenic and gentle on the skin. Formulated with vitamin E and antioxidants to help protect skin against free radical damage and infrared rays. It’s similar to the SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV defense but less greasy. It blends perfectly with all skin tones without leaving a chalky residue.The disadvantage of Titanium Dioxide is that it's not cosmetically elegant, meaning it's a white, "unspreadable" mess. Sunscreens containing Titanium Dioxideare often hard to spread on the skin and they leave a disturbing whitishtint. The cosmetic industry is, of course, really trying to solve this problemand the best solution so far is using nanoparticles. The itsy-bitsy Nano-sized particles improveboth spreadability and reduce the whitish tint a lot, but unfortunately, it also introduces new health concerns. Antioxidants protect against visible light in the same way they help protect against UV radiation – by preventing or reducing the production of DNA-damaging free radicals in the skin. The EU Allergen Free label is for the 26 ingredients identified by the EU SCCS and products will be only flagged if a suspected ingredient is on it's ingredient list. It is possible for cosmetics to contain one of the suspect ingredients without it appearing on the ingredient list due to it not reaching the concentration threshold to disclose it and cosmetic manufacturers choice to not disclose it. Pityrosporum Folliculitis/Malassezia folliculitis or simply known as Fungal Acne is a persistent acne-like condition that commonly responds poorly to traditional acne-treating methods. Unlike most cases of Acne where bacteria is the culprit, Fungi is the culprit of Fungal Acne (Hence the name!). There are certain classes & groups of ingredients that have been shown to promote and feed the growth of the Fungal Acne, Fungi such as fatty acids, oils, esters, polysorbates and fermented ingredients. For the same reasons they are popularly used, they are also commonly avoided. Anecdotally, many individuals have reported that Silicones cause/excerbate breakouts, irritation, cause a feeling of skin being unable to breathe, cause clumping of cosmetic products and find it difficult to wash off. As a result, those who find them problematic are avoiding them and increasingly, cosmetic companies are avoiding them as well.