Attention, sun lovers (and yes, that includes all who think they are adequately protected against the sun’s damaging rays): Nearly four years after announcing its intention to improve the labeling of sunscreens, the Food and Drug Administration has finally issued new rules that should help reduce the confusion that currently prevails when consumers confront the aisle-long array of products in most pharmacies.
But these rules will not take effect for another year (and for small manufacturers, two years). Meanwhile, everyone needs to know what to do now about preventing painful sunburns, disfiguring and deadly skin cancers and premature skin aging.
How high an SPF should one choose? Is SPF 60 really that much better than SPF 30? What does “broad spectrum” mean? Are all sunscreen ingredients equally effective? And equally safe?
And perhaps the most frightening question: Why has the incidence of melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers, doubled since sunscreens (as opposed to tanning lotions) became popular?
Rating Sunscreens
First, some facts about sun and current sunscreen labels.
There are two kinds of solar rays:
- short ones called UVB that cause burning and skin cancer
- long ones called UVA that cause skin cancer and wrinkling
SPF ratings — the letters stand for sun protection factor — reflect only the extent of protection against UVB. The higher the rating, the longer one can stay in the sun before burning.
But there are two important caveats:
- SPF ratings are based on a rather thick application of sunscreen, not the amount consumers normally use, which is most often a quarter to a half the amount applied in manufacturers’ tests. An adult in a bathing suit should apply about three tablespoons of lotion every two hours, experts say.
- Above an SPF of 30, which can block 97 percent of UVB (if used in testing amounts), effectiveness increases by only 1 or 2 percent. In the way that sunscreens are used in the real world, then, a product with an SPF of 30 actually provides the protection of SPF 2.3 to 5.5, and one rated SPF 50 provides the protection of SPF 2.7 to 7.1, according to a report published this month in Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.
If this sounds confusing, it is.
Dermatologists suggest choosing only products that are labeled “broad spectrum” and have an SPF rating of 30 to 50. There is no evidence that anything higher than 50 is any better. Apply the sunscreen just before exposure, and reapply it two hours later — it loses effectiveness over time. And even if the label claims the sunscreen is water resistant, be sure to reapply it after swimming or sweating heavily.
With regard to ingredients, many dermatologists recommend products with micronized titanium or zinc oxide as the most effective sun blockers that leave no white residue on the skin. There is some concern, based on animal studies, that the most popular ingredient in sunscreens, oxybenzone, may disrupt natural hormones, but the scientific evidence is scant.
Another chemical, retinyl palmitate, sometimes listed among the inactive ingredients, has been linked to skin cancers in animal studies. Because it is converted into a compound that can cause birth defects, it should be avoided by women who are pregnant or likely to become pregnant.
However, although more studies of these possible risks should be done, Consumer Reports concluded that “the proven benefits of sunscreen outweigh any potential risks.”
Finally, don’t be fooled by price. In tests of 22 sunscreens, Consumer Reports found nine to be effective against UVB and UVA and ranked three as “Best Buys”: Up & Up Sport SPF spray (88 cents an ounce) at Target; No-Ad With Aloe and Vitamin E SPF 45 lotion (59 cents); and Equate Baby SPF 50 lotion (63 cents). The organization said La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF 40 cream, at $18.82 an ounce, scored well below these three in effectiveness.
Although it may be tempting to try to kill two birds at once with a combination sunscreen and insect repellent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend this. Multiple applications could result in an overdose of the repellent.
Be honest. How often do you sabotage yourself?
