Secrets of the FDA Sunscreen Regulations

I saw on NBC News last night (June 14, 2011) that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has new regulations about sunscreen. I had to laugh because the report and the FDA's position made it seem that they were acting in such an informed manner, and that what the FDA was doing was so great. I have been researching sunscreens for a long time now and there are some key things that you need to know about the FDA and sunscreen and the FDA's sunscreen ratings.

The New Sunscreen Labels

Sunscreen labels have been very ambiguous in the past, and so the FDA is trying to regulate these for sunscreens. Currently the SPF, which means Sun Protection Factor, indicates what percentage of the UVB rays are being blocked by the sunscreen. In the future, the only time a sunscreen label can say "broad spectrum" is if the sunscreen blocks against both UVA and UVB rays. This is because the FDA contends that UVA rays can be cancer-causing. Also, sunscreens must have at least an SPF 15 in order to say that they can reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Does the Highest SPF Matter?

At least the FDA got this one right. More and more dermatologists agree that anything above an SPF 50 is useless because higher SPF do not block significantly more than lower SPF sunscreens. For instance, SPF 15 sunscreen protects against 93% of the sun's UVB rays. An SPF 30 sunscreen only goes to 97%, and an SPF 50 sunscreen only 98%. Dermatologists are now saying that this is just marketing ploys by sunscreen manufacturers. This has been known for quite some time, so it's good to see the FDA validate this point.

What Did The FDA Get Right?

The FDA now says that manufacturers can no longer claim that a sunscreen is "waterproof" because no sunscreen is waterproof or sweat proof. Again, this is a well-known point, but it is good that the FDA is now not allowing these claims on sunscreen labels.

Sunscreen Ratings

The FDA does not have a sunscreen rating, and they do not recommend "best sunscreens". They do not distinguish between chemical sunscreens and organic sunscreens. It is important to note how much the FDA left out of its reporting. They mention that sunscreen can protect against skin cancer, but there is no mention of the dangerous and harmful chemical ingredients in those sunscreens that could be contributing to not only skin cancer, but many other forms of cancer as well! Nor do they cite any of their own studies that corroborated these claims.

Final Thoughts

I applaud the FDA for moving in the right direction, but they have missed key points in the battle against skin cancer. There are numerous harmful chemicals that other sunscreens have, but that organic sunscreens do not. Isn't it time that you educate yourself, and protect you and your family from these harmful chemical ingredients in sunscreen?

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software