Health News / August 2007
Slather Up!
After decades of warnings about the dangers of sun exposure, an increasing number of Americans are making sunscreen part of their skin-care routine. Americans bought 60 million units of sunscreen last year, a 13 percent increase over 2005, according to Information Resources Inc., which tracks cosmetics sales.
But the increased demand has spurred an explosion of lotions, sprays, pads and gels with such diverse marketing claims — All-day Protection! Ultra Sweatproof! Total Block! Continuous Protection! Ultra Sport! Instant Protection! Extra UVA Protection! — consumers have every reason for confusion over what they are getting. Manufacturers use a variety of different marketing terms - S.P.F., UVA, UVB, waterproof, sweat-resistant – which make informed decision making difficult. Most consumers fall back on trial and error.
In the nearly 30 years since the Food and Drug Administration issued its first regulations for sunscreen as an over-the-counter drug intended to reduce sunburn risk, the science surrounding skin and cancer has expanded dramatically. The good news about sunscreens is indisputable: by inhibiting harmful ultraviolet rays, they can impede sunburn and lower the incidence of certain skin cancers, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, and basal cell carcinoma. The bad news is that the labels are giving consumers headaches.
One issue is that labels generally do not clarify how much protection sunscreens provide, the dose needed to achieve significant protection, and the frequency with which a sunscreen should be reapplied.
In 1978, the F.D.A. first proposed a system of labeling products with an S.P.F. or Sun Protection Factor, indicating how effective the product is in preventing burn caused by the sun’s ultraviolet B rays. UVB radiation can also be a factor in skin cancer.
An S.P.F. 15 product screens about 94 percent of UVB rays while an S.P.F. 30 product screens 97 percent. Manufacturers determine S.P.F. by dividing how many minutes it takes lab volunteers to burn wearing a thick layer of the product by the minutes they take to burn without the product.
Sunscreen is tested at 2 milligrams per square centimeter of skin, which means consumers should be using two ounces each time to cover their entire body. But for many people an eight-ounce bottle lasts all summer. They rarely get the level of S.P.F. listed because labels do not specify how much to use, and, of course, people on the beach don’t use sunscreen the way it is measured in a lab.
One suggestion is to replace the standards with a system defining sun protection as high, medium or low. A rating system for the sun’s ultraviolet A rays, which can contribute to cancer and skin aging would also be helpful. Many products already contain UVA screening agents, but under the current rules there is no rating for them. Without a standardized UVA rating system, consumers can’t be sure how much a sunscreen provides.
For now, consumers should choose sunscreens that contain ingredients known to filter UVA, including Mexoryl SX, avobenzone, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.
Experts suggest people use about a shot glass of sunscreen for the body and a teaspoon for the face to best achieve the S.P.F. protection listed on labels. It should be reapplied every few hours and immediately after swimming or sweating.
Despite labels that claim “All-day protection”, sunscreen has to be reapplied frequently. And “waterproof” may be accurate for an adult taking a quick dip in the pool but not for kids who are in and out of the water all day.
The best way to prevent skin cancer is to stay out of the sun during peak hours, 10am-4pm, and wear sun-protective clothing. But, Americans aren’t likely to wrap up for summer. Few are willing to wear long-sleeved shirts and wide-brimmed — defined as four inches wide — hats on a sunny day at the beach.
The next best thing is sunscreen. Two coats are better than one, so, slather up!
For detailed information and product information visit www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/summary.php created by the Environmental Working Group that lists products with UVA protection.
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