SunSmart advice remains unchanged
ARPANSA and the Cancer Council Victoria work in partnership to promote sun safety and skin cancer prevention.
Head of Prevention at Cancer Council Victoria, Craig Sinclair, said data from the 2020 Victorian Cancer Registry reported 2,582 new cases of melanoma across the state.
“Skin cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. Using good sun protection when the UV level is three or above can lower your skin cancer risk,” he said.
“Research shows that when applied correctly, sunscreen is effective in preventing skin cancer, including melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
“In Australia’s harsh UV environment, sunscreen is an essential form of sun protection.
“Cancer Council Victoria welcomes all innovation that both works to reduce the burden of skin cancer and brings efficiencies in the manufacturing of sun protection products.”
ARPANSA and the Cancer Council recommend using the five S’s of sun safety – Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide – when the UV level is 3 or above:
- slip on some sun-protective clothing – make sure you cover as much skin as possible
- slop on broad spectrum, water resistant SPF30 or higher sunscreen - put it on 20 minutes before you go outdoors and reapply every two hours afterwards
- slap on a hat – broad brim or legionnaire style to protect your face, head, neck and ears
- seek shade
- slide on some sunglasses – make sure they meet Australian Standards.
‘Sunscreen Testing: a critical perspective and future roadmap’, with co-authors Professor Vipul Bansal, Associate Professor Sylvia Urban, Dr Wenyue Zou and Associate Professor Rajesh Ramanathan from RMIT, Dr Kerryn King and Dr Rick Tinker from ARPANSA and Adjunct Associate Professor Craig Sinclair from Cancer Council Victoria, is published in the journal Trends in Analytical Chemistry (DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116724).
Story: Will Wright