Summer is here, and with it comes the golden sun and our mothers’ admonishments to constantly apply sunscreen. The vast array of choices makes it difficult to choose.
I want to protect my skin from the sun, but I’m not sure whether I can trust a bottle that claims I can wear their brand for eight hours straight and be safe.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration has announced new rules to make the world of sunscreen easier to navigate. The rules, which go into effect in a year, will make it easier to determine which sunscreens do, in fact, provide the best protection, and will prevent companies from claiming that products are water- and sweat-proof.
The FDA also declared sunscreen companies could only claim broad spectrum protection if they protect against UVA and UVB rays equally. According to skincancer.org, both types of rays are carcinogens.
Overexposure to either causes the skin’s DNA to mutate, which can then become cancer.
While it’s great they are making strides in this field, federal regulators have not decided to halt the SPF “arms race.” Sunscreens with Sun Protection Factor numbers of 70, 80 and 100 are almost purely fantastical in nature, as dermatologists have proven that a sun protection factor higher than 50 isn’t any more effective.
The New York Times reported John Hopkins University’s professor of dermatology, Dr. Warwick Morison, said he saw no point to SPF numbers higher than 50, as people are applying more irritating chemicals to their skin with little added protection.
Our American mentality of “more is better,” we have applied to everything from fuel economy to fast food, can also be applied to sunscreen, so that SPF 100 might seem a better purchase than an SPF 15 sunscreen. It’s unfortunate that companies are using this way of thinking to their advantage and making higher SPFs with no further benefit to people.
The U.S. has a $680 million sun protection market in a population where more than two million people are treated for the two most common types of skin cancer. Companies such as Coolibar market sun protective clothing, and even regular companies have developed special clothing lines. But even these sun-friendly clothes promote an SPF of 50, and not higher.
As the population ages, more and more people are experiencing the ill effects of a sun-loving culture. This has had an effect on younger members of the population as well. How many students do you see wearing hats, or applying sunscreen these days? With the CDC listing skin cancer as the most common cancer in the U.S., worries over sun exposure are not without cause. Skincancer.org reports that one severe childhood sunburn can double your chance of developing melanoma later in life.
Despite the shortcoming in regards to higher SPF numbers, the new rules will make sunscreen shopping much easier and less confusing. Be on the lookout for your SPF number that’s broad spectrum and lather up!
