Recently, the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued new labeling requirements for sunscreens and sunblock, specifically the SPF Sunscreen ratings, and whether sunscreens and sunblocks are useful in protecting us from skin cancer and sunburn, in terms of exposure to UVA and UVB rays.<\/p>\n
What it boils down to is this:\u00a0 you cannot trust the sunscreen SPF labels!\u00a0 Some may protect from one of the two UVA or UVB rays, or both, but until next year, the US FDA only requires that sunscreens offer protection from UVB rays.\u00a0 That\u2019s the kind that cause sunburn and possibly skin cancer.\u00a0 The UVA rays can penetrate deeper into our skin and cause problems, too.<\/p>\n
Also, there will be no more labels that say \u201cwaterproof\u201d or \u201cwater resistant.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s because there is no such thing as a waterproof sunscreen.\u00a0 You must apply a lot of it, before and after getting wet, to get the most protection.<\/p>\n
SO \u2013 what to do?\u00a0 Here\u2019s what the FDA and Consumer Reports recommend:<\/p>\n
— use a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 15 or higher.<\/p>\n
— use a sunscreen or sunblock that is effective for both UVA and UVB sun rays.<\/p>\n
— check out the Consumer Reports (via ABC News) http:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Health\/SkinCare\/consumer-reports-health-ranks-sunscreens\/story?id=13674815<\/p>\n
list of those that offer protection from both UVA and UVB rays.<\/p>\n
— don’t trust SPF ratings of over 30.\u00a0 Those that are 50 may not be any more effective than one that\u2019s ranked SPF 30.<\/p>\n
— consider using sunscreens that contain zinc oxide and\/or titanium dioxide.\u00a0 They don\u2019t conceal, but are considered more effective.<\/p>\n
— wear protective clothing, a hat, and use a sun umbrella in direct sunlight.\u00a0 Cover your skin as much as possible.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, don\u2019t be exposed to much sun!\u00a0 Stay in the shade, and forget the golden tan.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Recently, the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued new labeling requirements for sunscreens and sunblock, specifically the SPF Sunscreen ratings, and whether sunscreens and sunblocks are useful in protecting us from skin cancer and sunburn, in terms of exposure to UVA and UVB rays. What it boils down to is this:\u00a0 you cannot trust…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":171,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[26,59,125,124],"class_list":["post-1262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-health-2","tag-healthy-living","tag-sunscreen","tag-sunscreen-spf"],"yoast_head":"\n