SunSpheres: A New Form of Sun Protection

With the observation that the sunscreens currently in use prevent burning, but still allow considerable sun damage to accumulate, there has been ongoing research in finding ways to improve the effectiveness of sunscreens. A new product that may play a role is SunSpheres, a product that uses "hollow sphere technology".

SunSpheres by themselves do not add any ultraviolet protection, but when combined with sunscreens they use the principle of light refraction to change the path of the Ultraviolet A & B rays to make it more likely that they will hit the ultraviolet absorbers in the sunscreens. The more energy that is absorbed, the less energy that will reach the skin and cause damage. Studies have shown that SunSpheres can increase the absorption of ultraviolet light by 50 to 70%. SunSpheres may be incorporated into sunscreens and may also be available as a product that can be applied to the skin, separate from sunscreens. The product containing SunSpheres alone is said to be cosmetically elegant, invisible with a very smooth and dry feel.

Gerlad N. Bock MD
California Skin & Laser Center
Stockton & Lodi, CA