NYTimes article about Mexoryl-based sunscreens

[Andrew V.]

http://nytimes.com/2005/06/09/fashion/thursdaystyles/09skin.html

 

[hermes]

old news if you live in canada
we've had it available for years

 

[Andrew V.]

Well I've been aware of Mexoryl for years too, so I guess I enjoyed reading some "old news" (*rolls eyes at hermes*).

And in any case, I can't imagine that most Canadians are very knowledgeable about active ingredients in sunscreens. Many Canadians, just like Americans, probably rely on SPF ratings, and therefore could stand to educate themselves a bit more.

 

[fkl118]

I can't read the article (no subscription); and I don't know what the active ingredients in my sunscreens are.
But, is this Mexoryl the active ingredient in Ombrelle? Ombrelle is one of the most popular sunscreens in Canada. It's pretty expensive though: approximately $10-15 for a 120mL bottle.

 

[hermes]

yes some of the ombrelle sunscreens have it, along with garnier and la roche

and yes, andrew, you're right to some degree, there are a lot of average canadians that likely don't care about sunscreen at all and could use a good education on it

but at the same time, you'd be surprised as to how many canadians, especially women, who know about it and specifically look for it and will pay the price for it, but this is likely only the consumer looking for the right sunscreen protection in the first place and likely a minority

 

[fkl118]

I found a copy of the NY Times and read the article. Very interesting. For those who want the Reader's Digest version, here are some of the main points: UVA causes long term damage while UVB causes more immediate effects eg. sunburn. UVA can penetrate clouds and clothes. SPF number only refers to UVB protection. Mexoryl is a more effective UVA blocker than the other commonly used ones. I've never thought too much about sunscreen ingredients, but from now on I'll look for something with Mexoryl. BTW, it looks like Ebay prices for Ombrelle with Mexoryl are much higher than the retail price.