You’re an SPF 30 kind of person — cautious but not meek; edgy but not reckless, like those SPF 15 hedonists.
But this summer your identity might grow a bit more complicated.
Thanks to new rules by the Food and Drug Administration, manufacturers no longer can emblazon their bottles with SPF-related marketing jargon (Waterproof! All-Day Protection!) and be done with it.
Instead, the labels also must declare the product has passed ”broad spectrum” tests that measure the lotion’s ability to protect against two key kinds of ultraviolet rays: UVB rays (the ones that SPF, or “sun protection factor,” refers to) and now also UVA rays, the light that sinks deeper into the skin and, like UVB rays, contributes to cancer and signs of aging.
In addition, that old-school label that called your SPF 30 “waterproof” will be a no-no in months. Sunscreens can be only “water-resistant,” and the labels will spell out how long they will stand up to water: either 40 or 80 minutes. Sunblock? No such thing anymore, either. It’s called sunscreen.
Finally, get used to words — and lots of ’em — on the backs of the bottles, in the drug-information boxes. Now you will know every last ingredient you are slathering on your skin.
The FDA’s fresh involvement in the industry is welcome and long overdue, said University of Colorado Medical School dermatology professor Theresa Pacheco.
“There is not a day in clinic that somebody doesn’t ask me, ‘What kind of sunscreen should I use?’ This levels the playing field,” she said.
“We know protection against light can protect against cancer, against aging. One of the best ways to keep yourself looking great forever is wearing sunscreen. It has been frustrating for us dermatologists. These companies re-market and re-brand their sunscreens every year; they put a new spin on it every year.”
The change, effective June 14, isn’t just a matter of semantics. To pass FDA muster, companies must engage in extensive testing to prove their products protect against broad spectrum radiation and that they can continue to work, while wet, for 40 or 80 minutes.
The testing isn’t cheap. Neither is the new packaging — by this summer, every bottle of sunscreen must have new labels.
“We are a $2 million company, and it will probably cost us between $50,000 and $70,000. That is a huge undertaking,” said Sean Zimmerman, a manager with Rocky Mountain Sunscreen in Arvada. “I think a lot of smaller companies might not be able to make the change.”
The expenses will likely raise prices next year, Zimmerman said. But he also called the FDA’s new regulatory regime “a good thing.”
“It should help the consumer,” he said. Good riddance, he added, to the blizzard of vague marketing terms widely used in the past.
The only downside: The FDA hasn’t yet approved a laundry list of sun-protecting ingredients that are widely used in Europe. For now, most products will depend upon at least one of a pair of active ingredients to protect against ultraviolet rays, Zimmerman said: zinc oxide and avobenzone. Formulas will contain a host other ingredients that affect everything from water resistance to odor, but they don’t offer sun protection.
The FDA rules weren’t a big surprise. Officials with the federal agency have talked about regulating the sunscreen industry more forcefully since the 1970s, and sunscreen makers have been involved with the process all along.
The point of the new rules, said FDA spokesman Devin Koontz, is to wade more deeply into some of the medical concerns associated with sun exposure.
In the past, he wrote in an email, FDA rules focused on sunburn, which is primarily caused by UVB radiation and can lead to cancer. But protection against UVA is vital, he wrote, because it also “contributes to skin cancer and aging.”
“After reviewing the latest science, FDA determined that sufficient data are available to establish a ‘broad spectrum’ test for determining a sunscreen product’s UVA protection,” Koontz added. “Passing the broad spectrum test shows that the product provides UVA protection that is proportional to its UVB protection.”
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SUNSCREEN REGULATIONS
New sunscreen regulations through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration go into effect June 14, forcing sunscreen manufacturers to undergo testing for their products’ protection against two kinds of ultraviolet radiation: UVB and UVA. Among other things, the rules will transform sunscreen labeling. Devin Koontz, a spokesman with the federal agency, answered questions about the new regulations.
QUESTION: Why were the regulations changed?
ANSWER: Prior rules on sunscreens dealt almost exclusively with protection against sunburn, which is primarily caused by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from the sun, and did not address ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation, which contributes to skin cancer and early skin aging. After reviewing the latest science, the FDA determined sufficient data are available to establish a “broad spectrum” test for determining a sunscreen product’s UVA protection. Passing the broad spectrum test shows that the product provides UVA protection that is proportional to its UVB protection.
Q: Why should this matter to consumers?
A: Spending time in the sun increases a person’s risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. To reduce these risks, consumers should regularly use a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF (“sun protection factor”) value of 15 or higher in combination with other protective measures such as:
>> Limiting time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest.
>> Wearing clothing to cover skin exposed to the sun (long-sleeved shirts, pants, sunglasses and broad-brimmed hats) when possible.
>> Using a water-resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating.
>> Reapplying sunscreen, even if it is labeled as water-resistant, at least every two hours.
Q: How will the changes make a difference?
A: These changes to sunscreen products will help consumers decide how to buy and use sunscreen, and allow them to more effectively protect themselves and their families from sun-induced damage. The new requirements are part of an ongoing effort to ensure sunscreens meet modern-day standards for safety and efficacy and are based on the latest science available. They will also reduce confusion about sunscreen.
Q: Any tips for how consumers should read the new labels?
A: Consumers should look for products labeled as “broad spectrum” with an SPF of 15 or greater that meets the water-resistance requirements of their outdoor activities.
Q: Are there new terms to understand?
A: Broad spectrum: Sunscreens that pass the FDA’s broad spectrum test procedure, which measures a product’s ultraviolet A (UVA) protection relative to its ultraviolet B (UVB) protection, may be labeled as ”Broad Spectrum SPF (value)” on the front label. For broad spectrum sunscreens, SPF values also indicate the amount or magnitude of overall protection. Broad spectrum SPF products with SPF values higher than 15 provide greater protection and may claim additional uses, such as:
>> Use claims: Only broad spectrum sunscreens with an SPF value of 15 or higher can claim to reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging if used as directed with other sun protection measures. Non-broad spectrum sunscreens that don’t protect against and broad spectrum sunscreens with an SPF value between 2 and 14 can claim only to help prevent sunburn.
>> Waterproof, sweatproof or sunblock claims: Manufacturers cannot label sunscreens as “waterproof” or “sweatproof,” or identify their products as “sunblocks” because these claims overstate their effectiveness. Sunscreens also cannot claim to provide sun protection for more than two hours without reapplication or to provide protection immediately after application (for example: “instant protection”) without submitting data to support these claims and obtaining FDA approval.
>> Water-resistance claims: Front-label wording must indicate whether the sunscreen remains effective for 40 or 80 minutes while swimming or sweating, based on standard testing. Sunscreens that are not water-resistant must include directions instructing consumers to use a water-resistant sunscreen when swimming or sweating.
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