Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with current data suggesting two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70.
“Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. It is estimated that in 2022, 17,756 melanomas will be diagnosed in Australia,” Cancer Council Australia CEO Tanya Buchanan said.
A mix of protective clothing and broad-spectrum sunscreen helps to prevent damage, but Cancer Council Australia urges consumers use SPF30 or above.
“We encourage all Australians to use all five forms of sun protection whenever the UV levels are three or above: slip on protective clothing; slop on SPF30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen; slap on a broad-brimmed hat; seek shade and slide on sunglasses.”
Regarding best practices and frequency of application, the Cancer Council Australia recommends people use plenty of sunscreen and take note of when they last lathered up.
“Pharmacy staff can provide reminders to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours or immediately after swimming, sweating, or towel drying,” Ms Buchanan said.
“Many people don’t know that at least seven teaspoons of sunscreen are needed for full body application.”
With the rising cancer rates, new-age sunscreen brands are taking matters into their own hands with a two-prong approach to tackling the issue: education and world-class products.
One such brand is We Are Feel Good Inc., which focuses on high-quality premium sun care products – made in Australia for our harsh conditions.
Around a campfire, on a surfing trip, three couples decided to come up with a sunscreen that they could ‘feel good about’ – hence the name.
It was a somewhat logical move, as far as starting a skincare company is concerned, because the founding members consisted of a skin cancer doctor, a professional surfer, and a builder.
As the brand has grown since that fateful campfire in 2016, We Are Feel Good Inc. is now available in 1300 stockists around Australia – from pharmacies to gift shops.
We Are Feel Good Inc. has also focused heavily on education through its informative blog posts, webinars, and overall brand awareness.
“With Dr Scott [Dr Scott McGregor, Medical Director and Product Manager at We Are Feel Good Inc.] on as a skin cancer physician, he has helped us form some really great educational blogs that go out to our B2C and B2B customers, with things like ‘sunscreen 101, waterproof vs water resistant’, we try and really educate people and remove the misinformation in the industry,” We Are Feel Good Inc. Marketing Manager, Carly Horncastle said.
For pharmacy assistants looking for products to recommend, Dr McGregor explains there is no one-size-fits-all sunscreen, but a high SPF option suitable for your lifestyle and activities is key.
“A lot of brands will promote that their sunscreen as the only one you should use, whereas we’re more about finding a sunscreen that you want to wear every day and stick with that, whether it’s ours or another brand’s – that’s fine as long as you’re wearing sunscreen,” he said.
“We have a mixture of zinc-only sunscreens, organic sunscreens, and sunscreens that are a mix. That is so that we can offer different sunscreens for different tastes.”
We Are Feel Good Inc. offers a range of sunscreen, each for different consumer types:
- Sensitive.
- Kakadu Plum.
- Wild Rosella.
- Signature.
- Coconut.
- Sticky Zinc.
While premium products don’t fit every shopper’s budget, We Are Feel Good Inc. caters to tradesmen, athletes, and those needing sunscreen that won’t leave them with slippery hands.
“It doesn’t leave a greasy feel on your hands if you’re working with tools and things,” Ms Horncastle said.
Dr McGregor does, however, stress that not all sunscreens are created equal, but a lot of that comes down to how it feels on your skin.
“There is a slight premium for some sunscreen, like ours, which usually means there is a slightly more elegant formulation. They’ll tend to feel better on your skin, but if you’re buying an SPF50 sunscreen, it should work as an SPF sunscreen,” he said.
This feature was originally published in the October issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine.
