“The UV rays blasting down from the sun do more than burn your skin. They attack you right down to your DNA.” This gets my attention. I’m inside on a rainy Saturday in June, looking at sunscreens online. There’s a great LA Times article here, full of newly published information about sun damage to skin and how to prevent it. It says you can go a long ways toward reducing your risk of skin cancer by repairing sun-damaged DNA in your skin. But how do you do that? Cosmetic Surgical Arts Center has a full line of Neova SunScreens to help!
Neova DNA Damage Control sunscreen from PhotoMedex. Full of antioxidants, zinc oxide and other familiar ingredients, the sunscreens contain an enzyme called UV-endonuclease that’s harvested from an extract of ocean bacteria. Called micrococcus lysate, this extract is enclosed in a tiny package of liposome fat that helps deliver the enzyme deep into the skin. Cosmetic Surgical Arts carries a full line of Neova SmartSunscreens, including the DNA Damage Control.
The DNA EGF Renewal line of skin-care products was developed by Dr. Ronald Moy, professor of dermatology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. These products contain the highest concentrations of DNA repair enzymes, epidermal growth factor, a protein isolated from barley by a biotech company in Iceland. Dr. Moy says that many studies have shown that DNA-repairing enzymes in lotions and creams really can revitalize skin, reverse sun damage and reduce the risk of skin cancer.
“The idea that anything in a lotion could actually repair something as fragile and complicated as DNA may sound far-fetched, but DNA-repairing enzymes have a proven ability to heal and protect,” says Dr. Steven Q. Wang, director of dermatologic surgery and dermatology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, N.J. “In simple terms, endonucleases work by cutting out the damaged bits of DNA, which are then regenerated. Many studies in the last decade have shown that adding extra enzymes to the skin enhances the body’s innate mechanisms for repairing DNA damage,” Wang says.