Skin Safety in Brighton and Hove: What the UV Inquiry Means for You
A spot of sunshine is always welcome but with it comes concern for our skin and the need to properly protect it. Parliament has recently launched a UV Safety Inquiry to address rising concerns about UV exposure and skin health. This initiative, led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Beauty and Wellbeing, aims to improve public awareness and accessibility to sun protection – something very close to our hearts at Noaem Skin. We are rallying behind this movement and doing everything in our power to promote skin safety in Brighton and Hove.
But We Know Skin Protection is Important - Why the Need for an Inquiry?
Skin cancer numbers are increasing drastically in the UK. There are reported to be 16,000 new cases of skin cancer each year in the UK with 2,300 dying from the disease. Rising case numbers, a lack of awareness around daily sun protection, and the eye-wateringly high cost of some sunscreens have all prompted this inquiry.
The inquiry focuses on 5 key areas:
- The principle of UV safety is a basic need
- The principle of UV safety is a year-round issue
- The affordability and accessibility of UV safety
- Can a change in approach help to relieve the burden on the NHS?
- Education on UV safety
Debunking TikTok’s Anti Sunscreen Movement
While TikTok can definitely be a place to learn cool new stuff and increase your awareness on certain topics, it is also a minehead of misinformation. It’s a breeding ground for viral trends and it’s frankly quite scary how fast misleading information can spread.
What message is being spread?
A clinical trial in 2020 and a report by Valisure in 2021 documented a potentially harmful ingredient called Benzene found in some common sunscreen brands. Benzene isn’t intentionally added to sunscreens, but it can sometimes end up in products due to contamination in the manufacturing process. It’s an ingredient found in a wide range of beauty items, not just SPF, but beauty influencers were quick to hop on the bandwagon and suggest going sunscreen free was safer!
So, what is the truth?
While benzene is a known carcinogen, and ongoing studies are still exploring the risks, what we do know for certain is that not wearing sun protection significantly increases your risk of skin cancer. That’s why we always recommend choosing a high-quality, benzene-free SPF where possible.
Our Role as Skin Safety Experts in the Beauty Industry
The British Beauty Council has launched the ‘UV Safety Initiative’, a year-long campaign uniting major retailers and beauty brands to promote sun safety and improve access to affordable SPF products. At Noaem Skin in Brighton and Hove, we see our role as helping and informing as many as we can about the importance of skin safety, encouraging the use of SPF, especially on the face and neck, all year round.
What This Means For You and Your Skin
Whether it’s sunny or overcast – and let’s face it, there’s quite a few overcast days in the UK – it’s still important to protect your skin. Using appropriate levels of SPF every day will drastically reduce your chances of melanoma and will benefit your skin from an aesthetic viewpoint as it’s often the sun that contributes to causing fine lines and wrinkles.
If you’re wondering what sunscreen to reach for, that contains more natural ingredients and is benzene-free we recommend the Heliocare range. They are unbeatable! They have a patented technology that protects the DNA in our skin cells – it’s called Fernblock. We stock this in clinic so ask during one of your appointments if you’d like to give it a try. Or, if you’re looking for a more ‘off the shelf’ product we highly recommend the range from La Roche Posay called Anthelious . They are well priced and the range is huge for all skin types and children.
What If I Have Concerns About Sun Damage?
Your first port of call for genuine sun damage concerns needs to be your GP. If you suspect melanoma it’s important to get it checked out. If your concerns are more for freckles, hyperpigmentation and wrinkles caused by sun damage then we have a range of treatments to help improve your skin’s health and appearance. To discuss what the right course of treatment is for you please use our link to book a consultation.