OLGA DUEVA-KOGANOV

Ashland Specialty Ingredients

Spring is already here, summer is just around the corner and the sun is shining!

The duality of sun effects on skin should always be considered, especially during these times of the year.

Sunlight on the Earth’s surface is comprised of ~7% Ultraviolet (UV, 290-400 nm), ~ 55% Visible (VIS, 400~780 nm), and ~40 % Infrared (IR, >780 nm). Exposure to sunlight has both positive and negative effects. The UV portion of the solar spectrum contributes to vitamin D synthesis in skin, while being recognized as an environmental carcinogen. Short-term overexposure to sunlight causes sunburn, and long-term cumulative exposure is associated with the development of various skin cancers and photo aging.

Melanoma rates in 2016
Skin cancer cases outnumber all other incidences of cancer, and melanoma is the most aggressive type.

Out of six recently studied populations (Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, and the Caucasian population of the United States), only in the Australian population under age 50 have the rates of invasive melanoma started to decline. This decline is largely attributed to ...