Oral sunscreen: An innovation or a scam?
updated the 14 July 2015 à 18:35American society Osmosis Skincare has just put out the very first drinkable sunscreen. How does it work? Is it really effective? We investigate.
Soon, we will no longer need to smear sunscreen over ourselves with sandy hands, nor contort ourselves into ridiculous positions to spread some over our backs. At least, that is the promise of Osmosis skincare laboratories, which just launch a product called Harmonised H2O UV in the United States. This consumable sunscreen will have protection equivalent to SPF 30 and would be able to protect our skin from sun damage. On paper it looks great (though it remains to be seen how this new summer drink tastes), but in practice there is much to be a bit sceptical about.
THE PRINCIPLE
According to the manufacturer, the harmonized water contained in the product creates a unique vibration capable of repelling UV. While in theory the idea of an oral solution for protecting the skin is not absurd, we do not know much about the exact composition of the product. Does it contain only water, or also other chemicals used in the usual sunscreens? It is a mystery… According to the information of the lab, we should consume 2ml of this substance mixed with water one hour before exposure to the sun to block 97% of UVA and UVB for three to four hours. The result would be similar to that of a conventional cream SPF 30, with a better defence against UVB protection. First problem, since it is known that the application of cream must be renewed every hour to be truly effective. The lab also states that, for reasons that remain unknown to this day, their product would be ineffective on 1% of the population. Hence the need to test at with short exposure to the sun, to ensure that we will not end up slow-roasted after an hour in the sun.
HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT?
At this point we know nothing, because no tests were done by dermatologists! Yet it has become quite easy to prove if a solar protection treatment is effective or not, and for how long, etc… Moreover, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US has not yet been evaluated and yet the product is already on sale in several websites. A little snooping on the site of the lab we also discover that the harmonized water used against sun damage could help treat eczema, psoriasis, arthritis or acute mountain sickness… Still, nothing has been proven as yet, and it seems a little too good to be true. In short, we are probably not going to chug down this sunscreen for summer 2014 just yet.
Read more:
The UV meter you need to know about
Top 10 sunscreens for the beach
Do sunscreens prevent tanning?
Maureen Diament
