On June 7, 2009 I wrote this post to alert you to some concerns regarding sunscreen and misleading claims, terms and advertising on the labels. I told you that the FDA would be issuing guidance and law on how sunscreen could be categorized and labeled (I did not know that this had originally been discussed some 30 years ago). Today, June 14, 2011, these changes are official and making the cable, Internet news and print news.
The important things to note from today's announcement and as referenced in the archived post are these:
There is a difference between protecting someone from getting a sunburn and protecting them from premature aging (wrinkles) and cancer. Not all sunscreens can prevent cancer and wrinkles and the FDA has made it mandatory for companies who want to make a label claim for cancer and premature aging - to have their products tested.
Only products that protect against UVA (sunburn) and UVB(cancer/wrinkles) rays can claim this protection. The type of product that does this is called "broad spectrum" and that will be the phrase for YOU to find on the label.
A product that does not offer broad spectrum coverage at >15 SPF (up 50 SPF) cannot make this claim.
The bottles and sprays will not be able to boast being waterproof, sweat proof or a sunblock and will come with a drug facts panel.
All labels will also have to state the conditions under which the product offers this protection - including that they need to be reapplied every two hours - the SPF number is not a reference to the amount of time it protects.
If the product has a SPF of less than 15 it actually has to provide a warning to you that it does NOT protect against skin cancer or early aging from the sun.
What this tells me is that there is strong evidence that the sun causes wrinkles and skin cancer! If you recall - sunburn is a risk factor for later cancer occurrence, so you would want a product that included protection for all three.
Sadly - this law, which has been in limbo for decades, has a one year implementation phase - so NEXT summer you can expect these changes.
And as I did during my first post - I want to encourage you to visit the Skin Cancer Foundation website for their report on this new rule and for important information regarding skin cancer. As they remind in their post - sunscreen is only a part of this - hats, glasses, t shirts are others. Hats, guys - not visors... that was another post :)
Dare I have any hope about the food labeling laws happening before 2014??
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