UV Rays & The Window Cleaner

Do UV Sun Rays Go Through Windows? The answer is yes, usually some important UV rays do come through window glass. UVB is considered the main sunburn ray. It causes skin cancer and sun damage.

UVA - Is the UV ray in tanning beds. It penetrates the skin more deeply than UVB playing a big role in sun damage including wrinkles. It can cause skin cancer. The SPF on sunscreens tells you nothing about whether the product protects you from UVA.  Look for sunscreens labeled ‘broad spectrum’, but even then full UVA protection is more complex. Recommended are mineral sunscreens for the best, most reliable UVA protection, Zinc Oxide (not titanium dioxide) is the best dermatologist recommended sunscreen for sensitive skin.

Some modern windows block most all of the UV rays including UVA. Finding out which windows were used in the construction of your building might help knowing the protection level. It’s possible to block up to 99.9% of UV waves with today’s modern technology. The Skin Cancer Foundation has information on window UV film, click here to see it. In general, you can add sheets of UV blocking film to windows, or purchase glass that includes technology to block UV rays.

The Skin Cancer Foundation also has a list of window films that they have investigated and whose reliability they approve of. They also have a a glass manufacture that’s passed their muster too, click here see it. Beyond that, the only way to accurately test how much UV passes through your windows would be to finding someone with a radiometer that measures the UV transmittance.

For people who work in direct sunlight coming in through window glass, wearing a mineral sunscreen and clothing that blocks UV rays (sun protective clothing). If their windows claim to block UV rays, it's worth pointing out that a very tiny amount of UV still gets through. It’s possible to block 99.9% of UV rays, but even if their windows are that good, the 0.1% can add up at 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Wrinkles, age spots and skin cancer just ain’t worth it!

For exposure through windows that don’t claim to block UV rays, it's worth reapplying mineral sunscreen every 2 hours if they can’t get out of the direct sunlight.  It’s also time to get creative about trying to create shade too. That would be pretty tough in a ‘trendy’ office building with floor to ceiling windows, which is what makes this equation such a challenge.

Is Your Sunscreen Causing Cancer? The majority of sunscreens on the market today are more harmful than beneficial. Sunscreens are designed to decrease your risk of skin cancer and allow you to enjoy the sun without worry. Unfortunately, most modern day sunscreens may increase your risk of cancer and disrupt the functioning of your hormones.

What causes skin cancers? Ultraviolet radiation from UV-A and UV-B rays from sun exposure is the number one cause of skin cancer. Smoking, HPV (the virus that causes genital warts) and artificial light from tanning beds are also associated with an increased risk of skin cancer.

UV-A vs. UV-B: UV-B rays penetrate only the epidermis (the outer most layer of the skin) and increase your risk of cancer by direct photochemical damage to your DNA, resulting in mutations in your genes. These mutations contribute to wrinkling and aging of the skin by degrading elastin and collagen.

UV-A rays penetrate deeper into the dermis (the 2nd major layer of the skin) and can contribute to the development of cancer by increasing reactive oxygen species, which can, in turn, damage your DNA.Therefore, when choosing a sunscreen, you should opt for a sunscreen that blocks both UV-A and UV-B rays.

Origin of sunscreen: Franz Greiter first invented sunscreen in the 1940s. The active component consisted of zinc oxide. Zinc oxide acts as a physical barrier that sits on the surface of your skin; it offers the same protection as wearing a long sleeve shirt. Zinc oxide has been approved by the FDA and has been shown to be photo-stable against both UV-A and UV-B sun-rays. Because it is not absorbed into the skin, it is nonirritating, non-allergenic, and non-comedogenic (does not cause acne).

If zinc oxide is so effective, why is it rarely used today? Aesthetically, zinc oxide is a disaster. Because it is not absorbed into your skin like most sunscreen products, you're left with a pasty white substance all over your skin with each application.

Your typical sunscreen product: Let's first examine how your typical sunscreen product works. First, unlike zinc oxide formulations, which sit on the surface of your skin, they are partially absorbed through the skin. This means that any harmful ingredients in your sunscreen will have a systemic effect. Your typical "banana boat" sunscreen is full of parabens. Parabens may increase the rate of breast cancer and interfere with the male reproductive system. Parabens can also antagonize androgens (testosterone) and wreaks havoc on your body's hormones. Oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate are two other harmful ingredients contained in many sunscreen products. Oxybenzone has been linked to contact uticaria (hives), contact dermatitis, and degradation of the epidermis. Retinyl palmitate has been shown to increase the rates of cancer in combination with UV-A rays.

Are typical sunscreen products protective against skin cancers? Studies are conflicting. The study by Westerdahl, Ingvar, Masback, and Olsson showed higher rates of melanoma in individuals who wore sunscreen compared to those who didn't. The authors concluded that those who wore sunscreen most likely spent more time in the sun which would be the reason for the results. A meta-analysis of 9067 patients from 11 case-control studies found no association between sunscreen use and the development of malignant melanoma (the most deadly skin cancer).

Are my only options a protective pasty white substance and a potentially harmful, but aesthetically appealing sunscreen? No! There are better ways to stay protected from the harmful effects of the sun. Enter micronized zinc oxide. Micronized zinc oxide has the safety profile of traditional zinc oxide sunscreen and is as aesthetically appealing as modern day sunscreens. When micronized zinc oxide is applied in the form of a lotion it is not absorbed into the body, does not enter the bloodstream and has no dangerous side effects unless it is inhaled. For this reason, I recommend avoiding any "spray" products containing micronized zinc oxide.

Why are micronized zinc products not as popular? It likely comes down to economics and a lack of education about skin cancers and sunscreens. Micronized zinc oxide sunscreens are more expensive and difficult to source than typical Banana boat sunscreen.

In closing, exposure to UV rays from the sun can cause premature aging and increase the risk of skin cancers. Most modern day sunscreens have many potentially harmful ingredients that should be avoided. I recommend staying hydrated, increasing your intake of omega 3 fatty acids and applying micronized zinc oxide based sunscreens to protect yourself and your family from premature aging and skin cancers.

Cold comfort for sunbathers as poll says we’re blind to burn risks: Nearly half of us don't realise that UV rays can cause damage to their skin through glass such as a window. New research has compared our sun safety behaviour to Australians who are known for being sun-savvy. It found that almost twice as many Australians wear sun cream with an SPF of 30 or higher.

In addition, more than three quarters of Australians are aware that UV can cause damage to their skin through glass such as a window, compared to just 56pc of Irish people. The research also revealed that two thirds of those living Down Under recognise that UV can damage skin while under water, compared with just over half of people living here.

Clare O'Connor, a Boots sun care expert which commissioned the research said that: "Though Ireland has far less sunshine than Australia, the sun's UV rays can still penetrate through cloud cover, and as most people in Ireland only think about UV protection when the sun is shining, they may be at higher risk of UV damage."

Meanwhile, Rosemary Scott, a health protection officer at the Irish Cancer Society said: "Skin cancer is not seem by many as an issue in this country, but this is far from the truth. It is our most common cancer." The recent SunSmart campaign run by the charity revealed that skin cancer reached over 10,000 cases annually, an increase of 81pc since 1994.

John Breen (38), a dad-of-two from Tramore in Co Waterford was diagnosed with melanoma in February 2009, and urges anyone with concerns about moles go get them checked. "I never liked the sun. I would have avoided it and used sun cream a lot," he said. In 2012, tests showed the melanoma had spread into his body so he began chemotherapy which he finished in December that year. His scans since then have showed the cancer is gone. "I feel very good," he said.

Also see: Working Through The Heat Wave

The idea that sunscreen prevents cancer is a myth. It's a myth promoted by a profit-seeking tag-team effort between the cancer industry and the sunscreen industry. The sunscreen industry makes money by selling lotion products that actually contain cancer-causing chemicals. It then donates a portion of that money to the cancer industry through non-profit groups like the American Cancer Society which, in turn, run heart-breaking public service ads urging people to use sunscreen to "prevent cancer." The scientific evidence, however, shows quite clearly that sunscreen actually promotes cancer by blocking the body's absorption of ultraviolet radiation, which produces vitamin D in the skin. Vitamin D, as recent studies have shown, prevents up to 77 of ALL cancers in women. Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/021903_sunscreen_skin_cancer.html#ixzz38DpVsU2w