LUCA™ is the best UVA/UVB sunscreen available in the United States, because our formulations contain Polycrylene®, a novel Avobenzone stabilizer and strengthener.    Avobenzone provides great UVA protection, but without the addition of Polycrylene®, it begins to breakdown after 10 minutes in intense sunlight.  In addition to excellent UVB coverage rated by familiar SPF ratings, LUCA™ is the only product in the United States to voluntarily place a critical wavelength value (see critical wavelength below) on our label showing our level of UVA protection. 

 Good daily UVA protection is very important.  As a pathologist, I have seen an increase in the numbers of skin carcinomas and melanomas which are diagnosed each year in an ever younger patient population.  UVA rays are strongly linked not only to melanoma, but to the aging associated with sun exposure (wrinkles, sun spots, loss of elasticity, skin thinning, etc).  Daily UVA/UVB protection is necessary on chronically sun exposed skin surfaces (face, arms, ect.).

The graph below shows the protection with LUCA™ versus a “good” broad spectrum formulation.  Notice that both give good UVB protection and both can state UVA/UVB on the label; however LUCA™ gives substantially more UVA protection.  The orange area shows the increased protection possible  with LUCA™ because it uses Avobenzone which has been stabilized and strengthened by Polycrylene®.  This increased UVA protection is reflected in our critical wavelength, which   is the highest in the U.S. market.  Critical wavelength is an internationally recognized rating system for UVA protection which will likely be adopted by the FDA at some point in the future.

*Critical Wavelength:  Critical wavelength is an international rating system for UVA protection.  It is a measurement performed on a machine in which sunscreen is applied to a slide.  The slide is then irradiated from an artificial light source to simulate sun exposure.  Exposure begins at 290nm, with subsequent exposure to progressively higher wavelengths of light.  The point at which the sunscreen allows 10% of the rays to penetrate through the slide is defined as the critical wavelength.  Another way of looking at this,  would be this is the point where the level of protection provided by the sunscreen has dropped, to the point where only   90% of the rays are blocked (absorbed).  The advantage of the critical wavelength is that it is an in vitro, very reproducible laboratory test. A sunscreen with a critical wavelength over 370nm is considered by the FDA  to provide excellent UVA protection. 

Providing a UVA rating system such as critical wavelength is essential in allowing consumers to select products that provide appropriate levels of UVA protection.  However when measuring critical wavelength,  it is important that this measurement be performed on a sample that has been irradiated.  This provides proof that the formulation is stable when exposed to intense sunlight.  The following graph shows an absorption curve for LUCA both before and after irradiation.  As shown in this graph,  there is no significant difference between the  pre and post irradiation curves,   proving that LUCA is photostable.  The level of radiation used equivalent to 4-6 hours of intense  sun.