IDI advises all-year round sunscreen use

The premise for the campaign is to urge consumers not to only use sunscreen products during exposure to warm sunshine, but during cloudy days, winter sunshine, and even driving the car. Targeting the huge increase in skin cancer seen both worldwide and in the US, the campaign also spells new opportunities for cosmetic and personal care providers, who in recent years have been incorporating sunscreens into products as diverse as soap, moisturizers, foundation, lip balm and even facial scrubs. The IDI says it has coined a new terminology 'daylight exposure', which is currently making inroads in scientific circles, where it is increasingly recognized that daily low-grade exposure to sunlight can have equally damaging effects as short intense exposure that with protection. "The proper application of sunscreen on a daily basis is as mandatory to skin health as proper cleansing," says Dr. Diana Howard, vice-president of Research and Development for The IDI. "We need to protect our skin any time it's exposed to daylight, not just when we think our chances of exposure are higher," she added. The organization also makes reference to recent studies that have linked a higher rate of moles and freckles as well as skin cancers on the left hand side of the body to exposure to the sun while driving. Howard went on to add that, although many individuals are tuned into protecting their face - particularly as this is an area prone to wrinkling - other areas, including the neck, arms, ears and hands, are just as important to protect. Campaigns such as this are undoubtedly driving more and more consumers to use sunscreens on a daily basis, which is likewise leading personal care providers to be increasingly innovative in this area. One example of this is the recent launch of an active delivery vehicle from Aquea Scientific that allows sunscreens to be incorporated into products that are usually washed off. Wash On has been developed as a platform for the delivery of active ingredients in surfactant-based products such as soaps, facial cleansers, body washes and shampoos and is based on patented technology that encapsulates active ingredients into micron-sized particles, which are in turn positively charged. The company has developed a Wash On-based formulation featuring an SPF, which was named Best New Technology at 2006 HBA awards, held in New York last September.