MyChelle's Natural Sun Shield SPF Safe Ingredients, Incredible Protection

By Myra Michelle Eby

There is a lot of buzz presently about the use of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide in sun blocks and skin care products, in general. MyChelle Dermaceuticals wants to take this opportunity to discuss our position on the controversy of (and there is LOTS of it) Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, the science behind it and address any concerns the recent chatter have sparked.

Some Definitions
What is Titanium Dioxide?
• Titanium Dioxide (TiO2)¹ is a naturally occurring mineral compound from the earth. It is the "natural" choice for a physical sun block, because it reflects the sun's rays when applied, as opposed to a chemical sunscreen that would absorb the sun's rays for a given amount of time (depending on SPF).
• Titanium Dioxide effectively shields the skin against UVB (Burning) and short wave UVA (Aging) waves. Read more on UV waves below.
• It is also used to add viscosity, texture, and color to various skin care products universally.

What is Zinc Oxide?
• Zinc Oxide is an all-natural, mineral that has hundreds of years of excellent safety history.
• Zinc Oxide is a physical, chemical FREE ingredient that provides full-spectrum protection from UVB and UVA short and long waves.
• Zinc Oxide possesses anti-inflammatory and non-irritating properties.
• Zinc Oxide has been certified as a raw material that is in compliance with the standards for Ecological and Organic Cosmetics by ECOCERT.
• Zinc Oxide is the only UV filter approved by the US FDA able to make the claim that zinc oxide gives full-spectrum coverage across the entire UVB and UVA range.

What are UVA (Aging) and UVB (Burning) rays?
• UVA rays are approximately 1,000 times more abundant than UVB rays.
• UVA rays penetrate deeper than UVB into the dermal layer of the skin and can cause a host of aging effects such as: destruction of collagen and elastin; hyper or hypo pigmentation; damaged DNA; photo aging; or contribute to UVB cancer-causing effects.
• UVA rays penetrate dense clouds, un-tinted glass and light clothing, even on a cloudy day!
• UVA rays are present all day, every day of the year regardless of weather.
• UVB rays stimulate melanin in the epidermal layer of the skin (tanning affect) and supports the body's vitamin D production.
• UVB rays are the primary cause of sunburns, are linked to squamous cell carcinomas, and are related to cataracts.
• The time period for severe exposure to UVB rays is the middle of a clear summer day, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Lack of Evidence Regarding Sun Protection Ingredients
The biggest misconceptions and concerns with Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide are not the particle size of the minerals, but the question of whether or not these particle sizes indeed penetrate the layers of the skin. Are they then introduced into the bloodstream to wreak havoc in ways that are not yet clearly known through definitive research that prove this danger? There would be absolutely no question as to the dangers of these particles, if there were studies out there showing this proof. If there were this evidence, wouldn't the authors of these confusing and controversial studies cite this research? The statement that ultrafine particles can damage cells can be agreed upon, if they could penetrate the many layers of skin to enter the bloodstream and specifically found their way into our cells and vital organs. Today's sophisticated technology and research² by Advanced Nanotechnoloy shows that these particles reside on the Stratum Corneum, the dead layer of the epidermis and are unable to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin.

A sun block by definition will sit on the outer layer of the skin and reflect the UVA/UVB rays away from the skin. Because our sun block does not penetrate into the skin, we at MyChelle Dermaceuticals do not note any concern with ingredients absorbing into the dermal layer of the skin or the blood stream. On a side note – for this very reason, we choose not to include UV protection in our nourishing creams/moisturizers; a moisturizer should have nourishing ingredients that penetrate deeply into the skin and have positive effects on those cells. A sun block should never penetrate the epidermal or dermal layers of the skin but be more of a protective layer, or a shield, from the sun's damaging radiation.

Titanium Dioxide and Mineral Makeup
Of great concern in published studies is the powdered form of Titanium Dioxide and its potential dangerous inhalation risks. This is precisely why we chose to create our mineral make-up line in a cream, stick format, posing no risk of inhaling these powdered micronized minerals. Myra Michelle Eby had suspected this issue from the beginning, and was innovative in MyChelle's mineral make-up format to create an antioxidant rich, petroleum free, powder-less application that does not pose any health hazard risks. It is also important to note that we do not use nanoparticles in our makeup line. Our Titanium Dioxide is cosmeceutical grade.

Safe Enough for Children and the Environment
ZinClearTM and Titanium Dioxide are two outstanding sun blocks. These minerals are combined in MyChelle's Sun Shield SPF 28 to reside on the surface of your skin (the outer most skin layer a.k.a. the stratum corneum) and provide a physical shield to reflect the sun's ultraviolet rays. These ingredients are extremely safe and non-toxic. Their non-penetrating quality makes them suitable for use on children and others with sensitive skin.²

Chemical sunscreens on the other hand, are absorbed by the skin and when activated (about 15 to 20 minutes after application) will destroy ultraviolet light for a limited amount of time. It is important to re-apply chemical sunscreens since they become inactive after a certain amount of time, which is dependent on the SPF (Sun Protection Factor).

Physical blocks are effective as long as the minerals remain on the surface of the skin. Hence, if a user towel dries after a soak in the pool, they would have to re-apply their physical sun block. For the best sun protection, it is important to look for products that offer ZinClear™ and Titanium Dioxide, which are also the most non-toxic and effective sun protection available. MyChelle has chosen to formulate with ZinClear™, to be able to offer a translucent appearance of zinc oxide without resorting to nanotechnology to make this possible. A point worth mentioning here is that MyChelle's Sun Shield SPF 28 is reef-safe due to the formula being void of chemical sunscreen ingredients; meaning that our Sun Shield SPF 28 will not contribute to the deterioration of our planet's precious living coral reef ecosystem.

Avoiding Chemical Sun Screens
The chemical-laden sunscreens that contain Homosalate (8.78%), Octinoxate (7.5%), Octisalate (5%), Oxybenzone (5%) should be avoided. "The use of sunscreen chemicals may be increasing the incidence of cancer... It also now appears that many heavily used chemical sunscreens may actually increase cancers by virtue of their free radical generating properties. And more insidiously, many commonly used sunscreen chemicals have strong estrogenic actions that may cause serious problems in sexual development and adult sexual function, and may further increase cancer risks." - Dr. Loren Pickart, P&G Skin Care Research Center. An educated consumer should research these common chemical sunscreens to understand their effects not only on the human body but also the effects on the environment.

MyChelle Sun Shield is the Safe and Effective Option Weigh the benefits of ingredients such as Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, which do not penetrate the skin or irritate it. These ingredients are so non-irritating that even those who suffer with rosacea can use them with great results. They also act as effective barriers to the sun's penetrating rays. The options for sunscreens include:
1. Physical sun block
2. Chemicals sunscreens
3. Wear protective clothing
4. Stay out of the sun
5. Leave skin unprotected

Given the data on chemical sunscreens and the current controversial research on particle-sized minerals, it is our opinion at MyChelle Dermaceuticals that the best option at this time is to use safe sun block minerals such as Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide to reflect the sun's rays. Again, our ZinClear™ allows zinc oxide to go on translucent (no white-nosed lifeguards here), yet allow the product to be just as effective and powerful as chemical-laden alternatives.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals is a progressive, cutting-edge, result-driven, skin care company with award winning products and is dedicated to providing pure, safe and effective skin care to the consumer worldwide. Science and research is fast and furious in today's world of technology and with MyChelle you can always rely on our commitment to continue to lead in this category.

¹TiO2 is Non Penetrating – Titanium Dioxide Depots on Skin. TiO2 is an effective broad-spectrum UV filter
²Australian National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Advanced Nanotechnology