by Claudia Bruemmer

The FDA recently announced a change in labeling requirements for sunscreen products. The reason for the new rules is to help consumers understand the confusing claims on sunscreen products by specifying what sunscreen manufacturers can and can’t say on product labels in protecting consumers against the sun. Some products on the market already have UVA and UVB protection. For instance, you can get sunscreen closeouts with UVA/UVB protection at Dollar Days, which offers many kinds of UVA/UVB-protected skin creams as well.

The new FDA rules are meant to end false claims about sunscreens being waterproof and sweat proof, as well as claims that sun blocks offer protection against skin cancer and aging. The new requirements will affect the way makers of sunscreen can label and market their products.

The FDA will require sunscreens to protect equally against two kinds of radiation from the sun: UVB and UVA, in order for the label to say the lotion offers “broad spectrum” protection. UVB rays cause sunburn, and UVA rays cause wrinkles (premature aging) and contribute to skin cancer.

The rules will go into effect in 2012 and will also prohibit sunscreen manufacturers from claiming their products are waterproof or sweat proof because these claims have been proven false. However, manufacturers will be allowed to claim the amount of time in minutes that the product is water resistant, depending on product tests.

The FDA has been considering these rules since the late ‘1970s, when sunscreens and lotions were used for tanning rather than to protect skin against sun damage. Only sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher will be allowed to say they help prevent sunburn and reduce the risks of skin cancer and skin aging. Furthermore, sunscreens that are not broad spectrum (SPF between 2 and 14), must carry a warning that the product does not protect against skin cancer or premature skin aging.

Some manufacturers may plan to introduce sunscreen products with SPF numbers as high as 70, 80 or 100. However, the FDA wants a maximum SPF value of 50+ because it says anything higher will not offer significant additional protection.

The American market for sunscreen lotion runs $680 million per year. These new rules will significantly change a market that has been growing rapidly due to our aging population and increasing knowledge and concern over skin cancer. The final regulations are quite different from the 2007 FAA proposal that would have created a star-based system for UVA protection. In that proposal, sunscreens would have provided an SPF number for UVB protection and one to four stars for UVA protection. However, the proposed labeling was considered too confusing, and the Agency went with the current rules governing “broad spectrum” sunscreen lotions.