Natural and artificial photoprotection.

A solar simulator is described with collimated filtered radiation incorporating an optical integrator to more evenly diffuse the xenon 2.5 KW light source. Populations can be catogorized into skin types I-VI and the minimal erythema dose (MED) in each skin type measured in Joules/cm2 was compared to give a relative suntan photoprotection factor or SPF compared with type I (1.0) so that type II had an SPF of 1.67, type III SPF of 2.5, type IV V had an SPF of nearly 4, whereas the darker Negroid skin (type VI) had an SPF of 9.68, or nearly 10 times that of type I. In addition, various studies were performed to determine the natural protection factor after natural sunlight (3 1/2 mo of summer sun). In 21 subjects the mean SPF was 2.33 when compared to the MED on unexposed skin on the buttocks. Five subjects who had received a mean total dose of 3.49 J/cm2 of UVB within a 4-week period had a mean SPF of 8.01 and 5 subjects who had received a mean total dose of 20 J/cm2 of UVA with PUVA therapy within 2 weeks had a mean SPF of 2.7. These studies were compared with the photoprotection ability of topical chemical protective agents with a range of 4-15.