Sun protection is considered to be the most important step in any skincare regime by many dermatologists and skin experts. Without the daily use of sun protection, we’re leaving our skin open to the harmful effects of solar radiation which can have long-term effects on the health and appearance of our skin.
With so many products on the market, it can be difficult to decipher what level of protection you’re offering and which product is best for your patients.
In this blog we break down the key benefits of Heliocare 360° and how it protects skin like no other.
High-level, broad-spectrum protection
Every product in the Heliocare 360° range provides broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB damage.
UVB is the UV radiation that causes sunburn and is mainly present in the summer months. In addition to the more immediate problems of sunburn and skin thickening, UVB exposure can lead to skin diseases such as actinic keratosis, and in worst-case scenarios skin cancer. UVB protection levels are measured by Sun Protection Factor (SPF), and every Heliocare 360° product has an SPF of at least 50.
To ensure that you & your patients get the level of protection shown on the product you need to apply two full finger lengths of sun protection to the face and neck. Many people don’t apply enough product, so using a very high-level SPF means that you’re getting as much protection as possible.
UVA, or ultraviolet A, is largely responsible for premature skin ageing, as it causes damage to collagen and elastin in the skin, resulting in loss of firmness, fine lines, and wrinkles. They also dehydrate the skin and stimulate the production of free radicals, leading to oxidative stress and damage to the skin’s DNA.
UVA makes up approximately 95% of UV rays and contributes to approximately 85% of premature skin ageing – and it is present all year round! Heliocare 360° uses PA rating (Protection Grade of UVA) to measure its UVA protection levels. This is an internationally recognised rating system that uses very similar testing methods to the SPF testing and indicates the level of UVA protection using a scale of + to ++++. Every Heliocare 360° product offers PA ++++ (the highest PA rating available), so you can be confident that you’re giving your patients skin the best protection from both UVB and UVA.
Visible Light and Infrared-A defence
UVA and UVB aren’t the only elements of sunlight that we need to protect ourselves from. Visible light and infrared-A are also emitted by the sun and have been proven to damage the skin penetrating deep into the dermis.
Visible light has been shown to cause immediate and delayed hyperpigmentation. When combined with UVA exposure more and darker hyperpigmentation is produced.1 It’s also shown to be responsible for 50% of the free radicals released in our skin2 which in turn damage our skin cells and prevent them from performing their roles.
Infrared-A penetrates much deeper into the skin than other wavelengths, releasing harmful free radicals 3 that wreak havoc in our skin, again disrupting their function and damaging our skin health.
Fortunately, Heliocare 360° has you covered here too, protecting your skin from within against visible light and infrared-A with its unique ingredient Fernblock®. Fernblock® is a supercharged antioxidant that’s proven to protect your skin from within in lots of ways – specifically, it’s proven to help prevent damage caused by UVA, UVB, visible light and infrared-A by neutralising the free radicals that they release within the skin.4,5,6
Some Heliocare 360° products also contain iron oxide to provide a tint to the formula. These products are great for patients who are more prone to hyperpigmentation or those looking for enhanced protection against visible light as iron oxide is also proven to help to protect the skin against visible light.7
Defence against free radicals
Free radicals are unstable atoms, and in their attempt to bond with other atoms or molecules to become stable, they start a long chemical chain reaction called oxidative stress, or oxidation. It’s this oxidative stress that can damage our skin cell DNA which can stop them from functioning correctly – for example, the cells that form our skin’s immune system or fibroblasts which generate our collagen.
Antioxidants are molecules that have the unique ability to donate an electron to a free radical and stabilise it without becoming unstable themselves. Where free radicals are the problem, antioxidants are the antidote!
We’ve already mentioned Heliocare’s unique antioxidant Fernblock®, but let’s go into a little more detail about this amazing ingredient. It’s derived from a fern called Polypodium Leucotomos, a plant native to Honduras in Central America, that once lived in water and over time adapted itself to be able to live and thrive on land. One of the core protective mechanisms that it developed was to be able to protect itself from damage caused by the sun, which is what has been harnessed in Fernblock® so that our skin can benefit from that natural protection too.
Fernblock® features in every Heliocare product and is under continuous research and development as Cantabria Labs discover the breadth of protection and skin health benefits it can provide. Clinical studies to date have proven that it:
- Protects skin against damage caused by daylight: UVA, UVB, Visible Light, Infrared-A4,5,6
- Prevents collagen breakdown5
- Protects and repair skin cell DNA8
- Prevents light-induced pigmentation9
- Protects the skin’s immune system9
- Improves the efficacy of SPF filters by up to 14%10
All Heliocare 360 products also contain additional antioxidants including Vitamin C, E, and green tea extract for extra free-radical defence and skin health benefits.
Holistic skin protection on the outside and from within
When you consider the power of Fernblock®, you can see how much of an impact it can have on the health of you and your patient’s skin. With Heliocare’s oral protection you can now protect the skin from within and get a hit of Fernblock in both the daily Heliocare sun protection products while boosting the activity with Heliocare oral skin supplements!
Heliocare 360° oral supplements are packed full of Fernblock® and help to boost defences against the sun and other environmental aggressors. They also contain additional skin-loving ingredients to help boost skin health.
Using Heliocare skin supplements alongside topical Heliocare product can help to:
- Boost protection against daylight when used in combination with topical sunscreen filters11,12
- Repair damage to skin cell DNA6
- Prevent premature skin ageing13
- Prevent and reduce Polymorphic Light Eruption in sun sensitive skin14
- Added protection post-treatment
Patients can simply take one capsule in the morning and enjoy enhanced protection for 8 hours. With this simple two-step routine, it couldn’t be easier to give your clients skin the best protection! However, remember that the Heliocare 360° capsules are not a substitute for broad-spectrum protection and must always be used alongside a topical Heliocare 360° product.
Get involved today
New and existing partners can start their campaign journey by registering for one of our group webinars below. These short, informative sessions will take you through everything you need to know about the brand and the campaign, including the Partner-exclusive offers and merchandise that is available to you once you come on board.
Alternatively, if there are no available dates that suit you, you can choose to request a one-to-one meeting and your dedicated account manager will be in touch to arrange a time that fits in with your schedule.
Become a Heliocare Partner
Our Introduction to Heliocare 360° webinars are perfect for professional skin clinics who are new to the Heliocare brand, looking to learn more about this leading range of evidenced-based sun protection products and how to become a Heliocare Partner Clinic.
References
1 Kohli I et al. Long-wavelength Ultraviolet A1 and Visible Light Photoprotection: A Multimodality Assessment of Dose and Response. Photochem Photobiol. 2019 Aug 29.
2 Zastrow L, Lademann J. Light-instead of UV protection: new requirements for skin cancer prevention. Anticancer Res. 2016;36:1389-1393.
3 M E Darvin et al. Radical production by infrared A irradiation in human tissue. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2010;23(1):40-6. doi: 10.1159/000257262.
4 González S, et al. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed,1996,12(2):45-56 996 Apr;12(2):45-56.
5 González S, et.al. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018. Aug 1;19(8):2250.
6 Amini S, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010 Mar;62(3):511-3.
7 Eric F. Bernstein et al. Iron oxides in novel skin care formulations attenuate blue light for enhanced protection against skin damage. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 Feb; 20(2): 532–537.
8 Maritza A, et al. J. Am Acad Derm, 2004. 51(6):910-8.
9 Alonso-Lebrero JL, et.al. Photochem Photobiol B. 2003 Apr;70(1):31-7.
10 Aguilera J,et al. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Jun 2;8:684665.
11 Goh CL et al. Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018;11(3):14–19
12 González S et al. 2023 Mar 9. doi: 10.1111/phpp.1287
13 Zamarron A, Lorrio S, Gonzalez S, Juarranz A Int J Mol Sci. 2018
14 González S et al. J Am Acad Dermatol . 2012;66(1):58-62.
