In an interesting plot twist since our last post, this Washington Post article details the rules that the FDA recently announced to curtail the rampant exploitation of the public committed by many sunscreen manufacturers. Could it be that we at The Ranter's Row had an effect? One can only hope.
So, now, if it says on the sunscreen bottle that it's broad spectrum, it will actually lessen both UVA and UVB ray exposure.
(Just a quick correction from the last post: Conrad accidentally called UVA rays the "cancer-causing" rays, but UVB rays are directly linked to skin cancer, while UVA rays are what contribute to deep skin damage, which will cause premature aging. It's unclear from our end whether this damage is thought to possibly contribute to skin cancer down the line.)
No more "water-proof" or "sweat-proof" in the product descriptions, and no more SPFs over 50, since there's little data to show that anything over a 50 is actually effective.
But, be forewarned, the rules don't go into affect until 2012, so we still recommend you consult the Skin Deep database to check up on your sunscreen's report card. That's still a good idea after the rules go into affect, of course. Best to keep the manufacturer's honest.
--Statler, moderator
