New Sunscreen Rules

It took more than 30 years, but the Food and Drug Administration finally has released guidelines for sunscreens. The new rules should help consumers sort through competing claims by the manufacturers. Although the guidelines are an improvement, the FDA could have gone further.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. In 2007, the last year for which statistics are available, more than 58,000 people were diagnosed with melanoma, and nearly 8,500 people died from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says the incidence of skin cancer is rising, which makes using a high-quality sunscreen all the more important.

Under the new FDA rules, the buzzwords will be "broad spectrum." That means that a sunscreen protects against both ultraviolet B rays, which cause sunburns, and ultraviolet A rays, which are also associated with skin cancer. Starting next summer, sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or that aren't broad spectrum will carry a warning label.

Under the new rules:

— The agency will ban claims of "waterproof" or "sweatproof," requiring a manufacturer to instead say how long the product will protect the skin after exposure to water.

— SPF values will be capped at 50.

Anything over that offers only marginally more protection, scientists say.

— Manufacturers must phase out a four-star system used by some companies to rate UVA protection.

But in some ways, the new regulations have the feeling of half a loaf. The Environmental Working Group noted that 80 percent of sunscreens on the market today would pass the "broad spectrum" test, but 20 percent to 30 percent of them couldn't be offered for sale in Europe, where the laws are stricter. The group recommends a warning label on all sunscreen bottles.

The new rules seem sensible, but the FDA should step up efforts to test and approve other ingredients, used abroad, that cannot now be used in sunscreens sold in the U.S.

And sun worshippers need to remember that no sunscreen offers complete protection. As with so many other things, moderation is required.

REPRINTED FROM THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL.

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