Most of us love to be out and about in the sun and there can be no denying that the warmth of the sun on our bodies makes us feel good. But as we all now know only too well, sun exposure can come at a very high price. Exposure to ultraviolet light (both UVA and UVB radiation) is responsible not only for the vast majority of the symptoms of premature skin aging such as wrinkles, but also for the development of skin cancers. In particular, UVA radiation causes your skin to lose its elasticity which inevitably promotes wrinkling and also causes skin to burn as well as increases the risk of developing skin cancer. UVA radiation can also interfere with your body’s immune system.

The knowledge of these risks has made us all so much more sun aware and sunscreens have become a must. But when confronted with such a dazzling array of different sunscreens how do you know which one to pick? What you need to remember is that not all sunscreens were created equally and if you are in any doubt at all as to which one you should be using to protect you and your family, look no further than Curasol sunscreen.

Created by Dr Bill Cham (inventor of the breakthrough treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers BEC5 Curaderm cream), Curasol sunscreen offers a completely unique formula that not only protects the skin from the damaging effects of both UVA and UVB radiation but also helps to prevent the appearance of sunspots. Sun spots (or to give them their technical name ‘actinic keratoses’) are scaly pinkish marks that develop on sun exposed skin. They are extremely common in fair skinned people and, whilst not cancerous in themselves, they can develop into a type of skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma. Whilst less common than basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma is potentially far more dangerous because it can spread to other parts of the body. The development of sunspots is certainly a clear indication that the skin has been sufficiently damaged by the sun and there is an increased risk of skin cancer developing.

By containing trace amounts of BEC5 Curaderm, Curasol can help to protect the skin from the development of sunspots and the consequential rise in the risk of developing full blown non-melanoma skin cancer. As an active ingredient BEC5 is capable of destroying damaged cells before they can turn cancerous. Indeed, BEC5 has proven to be so effective that in 2007 Dr Cham received recognition for his work in developing this incredible breakthrough by being awarded by the American College of Advanced Medicine. Whilst the quantities of BEC5 present in Curasol sunscreen are not of a strength that can effectively reverse an existing squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma, there can be little doubt that the addition of this remarkable ingredient puts Curasol sunscreen in a league of its own. No other sunscreen currently being marketed contains BEC5 and therefore no other sunscreen can offer such complete protection.

But it’s not just the addition of BEC5 that puts Curasol sunscreen head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. It’s Curasol’s unique formula that not only contains BEC5 and a range of other skin friendly and skin protective ingredients, but that also specifically excludes other ingredients that are commonly found in alternative sunscreens, that makes Curasol sunscreen the best, the safest and the most effective sunscreen currently available.

So why the need to leave out ingredients that most other formulas include as standard? The answer to this remains controversial but over recent years concerns have been raised regarding a number of the active compounds that are commonly used in sunscreens.

Essentially these compounds divide in to two categories - organic and inorganic chemical compounds. The organic compounds (such as oxybenzone) protect skin by absorbing UV radiation. The inorganic compounds (such as zinc oxide) are opaque materials that work to scatter UV radiation.

In order to make them more user friendly and less visible to the naked eye when in use, manufacturers have been successful in reducing the size of these active compounds to “nanoparticle” size - in other words the sunscreens still offer you protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays even though you can’t see the sunscreen on your skin when you are wearing it.

The problem is that some studies have raised concerns over the use of these nanoparticle formulations. The irony is that questions have been raised over the fact that these nanoparticle formulations may in fact induce free radical activity which may damage cells and lead to skin cancer - one of the very things that the sunscreens were trying to prevent in the first place.

To combat this potential problem, Curasol sunscreen does not contain any of these potentially harmful ingredients. Instead Curasol sunscreen contains a range of additional ingredients that have been combined to create a formula that works to promote healthy skin. These additional ingredients include:

• Vitamin E - A free radical scavenger
• Tamanu Oil - With potent natural antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties. it is particularly recommended for the treatment of scars
• Manuka honey - A rich, aromatic honey that is also noted for its antimicrobial properties

Curasol sunscreen is a very effective application that specifically provides broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB radiation as well as helping to prevent non-melanoma skin cancers and the aging effects of sun exposure on the skin.