19. Sunscreens Sanctions

Doctor Jacob here today, and we're talking about sunscreens. This episode is entitled Sunscreen Sanctions.

There are so many sunscreens out there, some of which are really expensive, but actually cause a ton of acne. I can't tell you how hard it is for the acne patient to find a really good sunscreen, so I can tell you I'm finding them for you, and I'm going to put some really good sunscreens on the Sunscreen section of the website.

I want to tell you though what sunscreen-type acne looks like and how you can prevent it by using a great sunscreen. A lot of ingredients within sunscreen are organic chemicals. That means they're composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms, and in order to make them soluble, oils (or chemical substances which are synthetic oils) are used. It's really difficult to get a really acne-friendly sunscreen, so it's really important that you take a look at our website and get one of these preselected sunscreens to help you out.

Let's talk about what sunscreen-related acne looks like. It's a type of acne cosmetica, and if you've listened to all the episodes, you've heard that term before. It's caused by comedogenic substances within the sunscreen that clog up the pores. This type of acne or worsening of the acne tends not to be a scarring or aggressive type of acne, but tends to be the comedones, the whiteheads, the tiny one or two-millimeter mini bubbles that are under the skin.

The forehead tends to be a really common place for people to get sunscreen-induced acne. So if you have acne on your forehead and you use sunscreen on a regular basis, be sure to really carefully check through the ingredient list and check it against the comedogenic ingredient list that I have on the website if you want to continue using your own sunscreen, or you can find the preselected sunscreens at the website.

Let's talk a little bit about sun-induced acne. This is a very rare phenomenon. Usually somebody goes on vacation for a week, they're getting a ton of sun - usually on the chest and back, and sometimes on the face too - and then they get an acne flare-up. That's actually not from sunscreen, but from getting a ton of sun. People often say, "Yes, I didn't even wear sunscreen." So there is a very rare form of sun-induced acne, but it's so rare that you probably are not going to be the person that experiences it. It's getting a ton of sun, and typically these are deeper, inflammatory pimples that can be on the face, chest and back.

So remember, if you have a darker skin color you may not need sunscreen on a daily basis in order to get your Vitamin D. But if you're a fair-skinned individual and you're living in a sunny climate, then be sure to use sunscreen regularly. However, use good, acne-friendly, non-comedogenic sunscreens.

That's all for today. I'm Doctor Jacob, we'll see you next time.