the dangers of excessive tanning (CLIC)

At one time or another in our lives, we have all “consumed” the Mediterranean (stays, holidays, swimming, cruises, water activities, etc.). A subject that receives little media attention, that of pollution by sunscreens and other anti-UV filters is at the heart of environmental issues .

Accused of polluting the oceans, the star of the beaches is no longer in the odour of sanctity. However, it is possible to protect yourself from the sun while remaining attentive to the environment.

This video from the CNRS laboratory of the observatory of the Oceanological Center of Banyuls sur mer/Sorbonne University will allow you to see a little more clearly

Ocean marine ecosystems are dangerously exposed to a variety of pressures, including pollution chemical, in particular because of contaminants of emerging interest (CEC). These compounds include body care products, and in particular UV filters used in sunscreens. With the increasing development of tourism, beaches and coastal areas are increasingly in demand and are under strong anthropogenic pressure. The use of sunscreen products is widely encouraged by medical professionals and governments to limit the risks induced by UV rays. However, a recent report by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) mentions organic UV filters as an important class of pollutants among the CECs, with 45% of the UV filters tested being associated with proven toxic risks for coral reefs. This conference will provide an overview of this situation, the work carried out on this topic at the Oceanological Observatory, and will focus on guiding the public through the jungle of sunscreen ingredients, to find solutions to protect both human and environmental health.

Link to the video: CLICK HERE

At the initiative of the OFB and the Gulf of Lion Marine Park:

An alternative solution to the harmful effects of certain UV filters on local marine fauna and flora.

For your maritime, beach, paddle, kayaking, boating…

Cover oneself:
“I’m wearing an Anti-UV T-SHIRT”

Why protect your skin from UV rays?

Protecting ourselves from the sun has become a reflex gesture when we go to the beach or to the sea. While this precaution is essential to preserve our skin and prevent cancer, we are often unaware that some UV filters in sunscreens can have harmful effects on marine biodiversity.

The sun, the cause of cancer

Sun exposure is the main risk factor for carcinomas and melanomas, skin cancers that can progress seriously and become fatal.
UVA rays also cause premature aging of the skin by destroying collagen fibers and elastin in the dermis. Exposure to UVB rays leads to inflammation or “sunburn”.

It is therefore important to take precautions against exposure to UVA and UVB rays from morning to night.

UVA intensity is relatively constant throughout the day, while UVB is higher when the sun is more intense (usually between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when it is at its zenith).

Tanning is a consequence of exposing the skin to UV rays, but it does not protect us from the sun’s aggressions.

No sunscreen, even with a SPF 50, guarantees a total barrier against the sun’s rays.

Mineral filters: titanium dioxide (TIO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO)

Sunscreens made with mineral filters are the only ones that can be labelled as “organic”. However, this label does not mean that mineral products are safe.

The only two mineral filters on the market can also be toxic to marine biodiversity when used in the form of nanoparticles8.

Unfortunately, since the particle sizes of TiO2 and ZnO are only very rarely indicated on the packaging, it is currently difficult to determine the non-toxicity of mineral UV filters.

Even certified organic, no cosmetic product can claim to “protect biodiversity”, or even “respect the environment”?

To better adhere to the skin, UV filter particles can be coated with other, sometimes controversial, ingredients, such as silicones that cause polluting microplastic residues.

Do not use tubes of old creams, the degradation products of chemical filters are carcinogenic.

Spring:

The dangers of intensive tanning

What are the risks of tanning addiction?

Prolonged and/or intense exposure to natural and artificial UV radiation can have serious health consequences, both in the short and long term, which are directly related to the penetration and absorption of these rays into the structures of the skin and eye.

The health risks involved are numerous:

• Sunburn
• DNA damage
• Weakening of the immune system and inflammation
• Premature skin aging (wrinkles, spots, etc.)
• Effects on the eye (corneal inflammation, cataracts, photoconjunctivitis)
• Skin and eye cancers

The sensitivity of individuals to UV radiation is very heterogeneous. Some people may observe side effects even for exposure to low doses or even after short exposures (see phototype table).

tan

hair

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Black

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The effects of artificial and natural UV exposures are cumulative and increase the risk of developing skin cancer.

There are two types of skin cancers induced by UVA and B: carcinomas (basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) and melanomas.

• Carcinomas are the most common (about 90% of all skin cancers). In most cases, early detection allows for simple surgical treatment.
• Melanoma (about 10% of all skin cancers) is more dangerous. Each year in France, nearly 10,000 new cases are discovered and 1,620 deaths are estimated for 2011. In most cases, melanoma appears in healthy skin as a pigmented spot resembling a mole but differing from it by the irregularity of the contours, the polychromy (brown, purple, pinkish, or bluish areas) and the irregularity of the surface. More rarely, melanoma occurs as the degeneration of a mole whose contours, color, and appearance change.
  If melanoma is not recognized in its initial phase, it can grow and metastasize.

The subjects most at risk are:

• fair-skinned subjects (phototypes I and II in particular),
• with difficulty tanning,
• getting sunburned easily,
• with blonde or red hair,
• with gray or blue eyes,
• Kids
• people working in the open air without protection,
• people who regularly practice water sports without protection.

Other skin effects

The blows of soleil

Sunburn is a local burn of the epidermis of varying extent and degree due to ultraviolet A and B rays (both artificial and natural). It manifests itself as painful redness. If deep layers of the skin are affected, then there is a second-degree burn, blisters form.
Repeated sunburns greatly increase the risk of skin cancer, especially if it occurs in childhood.

Premature skin aging

Premature skin aging is one of the consequences of overexposure to natural and artificial UV rays. UVA rays enter the dermis and destroy collagen and elastin fibers. The effects manifest themselves 10 or 20 years after the irradiation by:

• pigment spots of more or less dark color on the back of the hands and face;
• actinic keratoses (localized thickening of the skin). The skin peels off and if these flaps of skin are torn off, a slight bleeding occurs. These lesions are considered precancerous;
• – in other places, atrophy of the dermis and epidermis (thinning of the skin),
• petechiae (dark red spots due to limited haemorrhages on the skin) and pseudo-scars,
• an accentuation of skin dryness and wrinkles.
• Premature skin aging promotes skin irritation and drug reactions while slowing down the rate of healing. The skin becomes more permeable to different allergens. Sensory and thermal perception decreases.

Photosensitization

Photosensitization refers to an abnormally sensitive condition of the skin that causes allergic reactions, following exposure to sunlight or artificial light, combined with a chemical substance applied to the skin, ingested or injected (certain medications, cosmetics or perfumes).
There are two typical reactions: phototoxic reactions and photoallergic reactions.

It is therefore important to ask your doctor or pharmacist if the medications you have been prescribed are photosensitizing. If they are, exposure to natural and artificial UV rays should be avoided. The reactions are strictly localized to the exposed regions. In case of exposure to the sun, it is necessary to use appropriate means of protection: wearing dry clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and the use of maximum UVA/UVB protection.

It is rarer than phototoxicity. It worsens each time the combination of chemical and exposure to natural or artificial UV rays is repeated.

Examples of photosensitizing agents:

For local use :

• dyes: fluorescein, eosin, local antiseptics,
• several plants containing psoralen (celery, parsley,
• bergamot, lemon, etc.),
  
• perfumes (eau de toilette, eau de Cologne), and deodorants,
• cosmetic products (e.g. psoralen-based tanning accelerators),
• certain medications (benzoyl peroxide, phenothiazines, some anti-inflammatories),
• local antibacterials.

Internally:

• Medicines (psoraLens, Quinolones, Cyclins – antibiotics – phenothiazines, amiodarone, antimitotics antidepressants, phenothiazines, sulfonamides – antibacterials, antidiabetics, diuretics – hydroquinidines).
• The “wild” intake of psoralen, for aesthetic purposes, is responsible for severe burns (requiring hospitalization) after exposure to natural or artificial UV rays.

Ophthalmic effects

UV rays cause inconveniences ranging from a simple red eye to more serious disorders: retinal disorders, inflammation, premature appearance of cataracts.

Keratitis
Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea accompanied by pain and redness located on the periphery of the eye. It causes temporary blindness. UV radiation is responsible for this, but most often the keratitis disappears within a few days, and does not leave any after-effects. Nevertheless, it is important to consult an ophthalmologist quickly.

Cataracts
Cataracts are currently one of the most common eye diseases in the world that are treated by ophthalmologists.
UVA rays have been found to be responsible for so-called cortical cataracts, i.e. cataracts located on the periphery of the lens. Cataracts cause clouding of the lens and symptoms such as decreased vision, fog, glare in bright light. Be careful, cataracts inevitably lead to total blindness. It is therefore important to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Sources:

Directorate-General for Health (DGS)
14 avenue Duquesne
75350 Paris 07 SP

Jean Marchal