Lubriderm SPF 30 is a non-greasy lotion that helps moisturize the skin while protecting it from harmful UVA and UVB sun rays, according to Lubriderm.com. The active ingredients are the sunscreens avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, oxybenzone and octocrylene. There are also several inactive ingredients. SPF stands for "sun protection factor," a measurement of the amount of UVB protection. An SPF of 30 filters about 97 percent of UVB rays, notes MayoClinic.com.
Avobenzone
Avobenzone is present in Lubriderm SPF 30 at a 3 percent concentration. It is described by Drugs.com as a chemical sunscreen in the dibenzoylmethanes group. Chemical sunscreen agents diminish the penetration of UV light through the skin by absorbing UV radiation within a specific wavelength range. The wavelength and amount of UV radiation absorbed are affected by the molecular structure of the sunscreen agent. Avobenzone absorbs wavelength that are 320 to 400 nm, or nanometers, long. UVB light has a wavelength from 290 to 320 nm, and is mostly responsible for creating a sunburn, according to 3dchem.com. UVA wavelength is from 320 to 400 nm--it takes thousands of times more UVA light than UVB light to achieve the equivalent skin damage.
Homosalate
3dchem.com says that homosalate sunscreen is a compound of the salicylate group of chemicals; it is present at 6 percent concentration in Lubriderm SPF 30. It absorbs light with a wavelength from 295 to 315 nm. Octisalate 5 percent, another sunscreen ingredient in Lubriderm SPF 30, is also a salicylate compound, absorbing light wavelengths from 280 to 320 nm.
Oxybenzone
Oxybenzone, per Drugs.com, is a benzophenone compound sunscreen and has an absorbance wavelength of 270 to 350 nm. It is present in Lubriderm SPF 30 at 5 percent. Natural-Health-Information-Centre.com cites a study from the "British Medical Journal" which noted a link between oxybenzone and a higher risk of malignant skin cancer: oxybenzone may be absorbed into the skin, causing cell damage, which may lead to melanoma.
Octocrylene
Octocrylene at 4 percent is the final sunscreen ingredient in Lubriderm SPF 30, protecting from light in the wavelength range of 290 to 350 nm. According to SmartSkincare.com, it is highly stable and does not degrade in sunlight. Octocrylene protects other UV blocking agents from degrading from UV light. It is inadequate when used alone, as it is weak. It is used to augment other UV absorbers and helps to improve uniform skin coating. Like oxybenzone, octocrylene may promote the generation of potentially harmful free radicals when absorbed into the skin.
Inactive ingredients
Some inactive ingredients in Lubriderm SPF 30 include water, fragrance, linseed oil, rosemary leaf extract, and thickeners and binders such as hydroxypropyl starch phosphate and C12-15 alkyl benzoate.
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