| Background It is generally believed that ultraviolet radiation is a risk factor of skin cancer. Many people know the conventional ways of protecting themselves from the sun, such as staying out of the sun, shielding clothing, and wearing sunscreen. Although, wearing sunscreen alone should not be considered sufficient protection, there are various reasons why some sunscreen products may be better than others. Broad Spectrum Skin Protection Factor (SPF) is an allover sunscreen that protects from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. In the United States it is not required for sunscreens to be broad spectrum. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only requires sunscreens to protect from UVB rays. In the European Union (EU) there is a requirement to provide the consumer with a minimum level of one-third UVA protection in relation to the UVA protection factor. In this research, a systematic review of the literature was performed to evaluate whether UVA protection should a mandatory requirement for sunscreen products.;Methods A systematic review of UVA protection in sunscreen was conducted and the following databases; PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched (date range: Jan 1998 to Jan 2015). The search terms included 'UVA', 'skin protection', and 'sunscreen'. The list of references cited in eligible manuscripts were also searched. From this search, studies were screened according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria included publication types other than systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies; as well as laboratory studies. Articles were limited to those that included specific studies for testing sun protection factors against UVA and UVB rays. Exclusion criteria included any articles only assessing UVB exposure, new formulations and filters, and SPF testing methods.;Results Based upon the evaluation of current literature it has been shown that UVA protection resulted in; larger reductions in elastin promoter activity, protection against erythema, considered to be an effective treatment for relieving symptoms of photoaging, protection against immunosuppression and solar-simulated radiation (SSR) induced chalcone synthase (CHS), prevention of polymorphic light eruption (PLE) lesions, and protection for individuals at risk of melanoma.;Conclusion The conclusion drawn from this systematic review show that UVA protection should be required in all sunscreen products. Based on the studies conducted and the analysis of the literature it is evident that the benefits of UVA protection certainly outweigh the risks and should be approved for public health usage. This thesis also forms a basis for a better understanding of problems associated with UVA exposure. In addition it will also provide further knowledge on skin protection in sunscreen, and will provide for further review of FDA standards in regards to broad-spectrum protection in sunscreen products. This report also provides suggestions for areas for future research. |
