6/21/2023 0 Comments Thinkbaby sunscreen break out![]() The requirement for broad spectrum is good news, and should help consumers select a more protective sunscreen by looking for “broad spectrum” on the label.īut EWG worries that the FDA’s baseline for how much UVA protection a broad spectrum cream must contain isn’t strong enough. ![]() The FDA’s answer to this is to ensure sunscreens that label themselves as “broad spectrum” block both UVB and UVA rays, and that a higher SPF also reflects more blockage of UVA. Someone with a high SPF 80 sunscreen, for instance, may be getting little UVA protection, so they could endure the sun longer without redness, but are exposing their skin to aging, wrinkling, and cancer-causing rays for longer than someone who puts less SPF on and reapplies more often or stays out of the sun. Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays can also cause skin cancers like melanoma, but leave little immediate visible trace. The FDA is in the process of evaluating a proposed rule to cap SPF at 50, and agency spokeswoman Shelly Burgess agreed flat-out: “We do not have data that demonstrate that sunscreen products with SPF 50 or higher provide any demonstrable health benefit to consumers compared to SPF 50 products.” But she couldn’t give me an estimate of when the proposed rule could reach the end of its review process, which means the cap is in the same place it was a year ago, and high SPF creams still proliferate (and were growing in number in 2010, reported the EWG).Ī higher SPF “lends to a sense of invincibility, so that people spend more time in the sun longer.”Īnother reason this matters? SPF values, which reflect how much longer a cream can prevent sunburn than if you were to leave your skin bare, relate to Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which cause redness on skin. ![]() What’s worse, says Andrews: “Sunscreen users are actually more likely to get burned.” Wait, what? Those that slather on are more at risk for lobsterdom? “It’s a behavioral thing-because they’re more likely to spend an extended period of time in the sun, and there’s a concern of overexposure.” Mother Jones reported on this false sense of security back in the ’90s. The higher value “lends to a sense of invincibility, so that people spend more time in the sun longer,” Andrews argues. For sunscreens that boast SPF 100, for instance, “there’s no evidence they provide additional health benefits,” says David Andrews, a spokesperson for EWG. The guide comes less than a week after the FDA pushed back the compliancy requirement for a news set of guidelines (33 years in the making) meant to urge manufacturers to more clearly label their products and toss out misleading terms like “sweatproof” and “sunblock.” But even the now-delayed FDA guidelines, says EWG, fall short in some important ways.įor starters, the FDA’s new guidelines fail to address the risk of trusting a sunscreen with an SPF higher than 50. So says the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which today released its 2012 Sunscreen Guide. Or pay very close attention to exactly what’s in your sunscreen, and how often you’ll want to reapply. But while the stuff is important for staying safe from harmful UV rays, there are still enough confusing labels, dangerous ingredients, and misleading SPF designations in so many common products that you may want to opt for a day under the nearest tree instead. By now, you’ve probably been lectured enough about the perils of sunburn and skin cancer to bring a tube of sunscreen along, too. Time to don your sunnies, dig out the sandals, and head for the nearest beach or park for about the next four months. Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.Īhhh, May.
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