The Label Game....Sunscreen

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the FDA announces long-awaited sunscreen rules


Labels can often be misleading, confusing or just plain inaccurate. And when it comes to protecting skin from sunburns, wrinkles and potential cancer, misinformation can be risky! We now have more knowledge than ever about the harmful effects the sun can cause, so why settle for anything less than complete transparency (and a ton of clarity) on sunscreen labels to protect ourselves? Luckily, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced guidelines that take the sting out of misleading labels (and must be enacted with a year). Among the new rules:






• To earn the title of “broad spectrum” protection on labels, sunscreens now will have to protect equally against UVB rays (which cause burning and some forms of skin cancer) and UVA rays (which cause wrinkling and some forms of skin cancer).






• Did you know there is no such thing as a sunscreen that is waterproof or sweat-proof? The FDA mandates that sunscreen labels will now have to show how long (in minute measurements) a product is water-resistant, and that amount of time will depend upon proven test results.






• Remember SPF 4 or SPF 10 sunscreens? They can no longer claim complete sun-protection. The FDA will only allow sunscreens with an SPF 15 or higher to claim they help to prevent sunburn, skin cancer and skin aging. Those that don’t prove they offer broad-spectrum protection or are below SPF 15 will have to put a warning on the label that the product hasn’t been shown to help prevent skin cancer or wrinkles.






Though skincare companies will be scrambling to reassess their labels to be FDA-compliant, dermatologists have a, well, sunny outlook. “Now we will be able to tell patients which sunscreens are truly best,” says board-certified NYC dermatologist Dr. Ariel Ostad.






But will these guidelines last? After all, these new rules are a drastic change from what the FDA was proposing a little more than a month ago: labels with a star-rating system for UVA rays and an SPF number for UVB protection. After 3,000 comments were submitted on that proposal, the FDA concluded such labeling would prove too confusing for consumers. Ostad believes the new rule will simplify things for those seeking adequate sun protection. “All they’re going to need to do is pick an SPF number and then make sure it’s broad spectrum,” he concludes. You couldn’t spell that out more clearly!
 

Molly Church

FROM BEAUTY ECT.