Prettier Protection : The Face-Saving Power of SPF Is Now Released in Cosmetic Form

ONE CONSISTENT message keeps coming through at beauty counters: Sun protection should not be limited to the beach or the ski slopes. Cosmetics manufacturers are making it easier to follow the advice of dermatologists and skin-cancer researchers who have said for years that the way to prevent damage from sun exposure is to use a sunscreen every day, all year--especially in Southern California.

“Incidental exposure to the sun causes more damage to the skin than a day at the beach,” according to Avon Vice President of Research and Development Gary Dugan. “Daily exposure accumulates and ages the skin.” Many moisturizers and foundations for everyday wear are now including a sunscreen ingredient, and some of these cosmetics are being labeled with SPF (sun protection factor) numbers like those on tanning products.

“Foundations and moisturizers with SPF ratings don’t have to adhere to the skin the way traditional sunscreen lotions do,” explains Gary Grove, a skin physiologist and vice president of research and development at Philadelphia’s Skin Study Center. “Beach products must be on the greasy side to withstand perspiration and to stay on the skin in the water and on the sand.”

In contrast, the new SPF cosmetics are non-greasy and usually don’t need to be reapplied unless they are rubbed off or washed off with water. But, as Grove points out, “foundations and moisturizers with SPF are not to be used at the beach” instead of traditional sunscreen preparations. The reason is that these cosmetics will come off in the water or with excessive perspiration.

He adds that wearing an SPF product every day creates a beneficial “reservoir” effect; that is, some of the sunscreen ingredients are absorbed into the skin over time and may provide better protection.

Any product that displays an SPF number is classified as an over-the-counter drug (sunburn is considered a skin disease) by the Food and Drug Administration and must follow FDA guidelines for safety and efficacy.

Even though some products--such as Total Protection Cream by Chanel--have an SPF as high as 15, their makers choose not to specify an SPF number on the label. The reason, according to Grove, is that “testing for over-the-counter drugs is time-consuming and expensive.” Other companies--such as Max Factor, Shiseido and Kao Sofina--have elected to use their SPF numbers as a sales tool. Dermablend’s Maxium Moisturizer also puts its SPF on its label.

Will American women respond to the new marketing approach? Bullocks Wilshire cosmetics buyer Gary Cockrell believes that if a woman “buys the need, she’ll buy the product. And saving a woman’s skin is a big priority.”