Is the SPF rating on sunscreens outdated science?

SALT LAKE CITY — In June 2011, the FDA issued new
guidelines for sunscreen products. Those rules officially
went into effect as of June 18, 2012. They establish a new
standard for testing over-the-counter (sold without a
prescription) sunscreen products that will determine which
products are allowed to be labeled as “broad
spectrum.”

The differences between UVB and UVA need to be further
researched, but exposure to the combination of UVB and UVA
is a powerful attack on the skin and creates irreversible
skin damage, including sunburn, premature aging and skin
cancer. Protection from these rays is the only way to
avoid these problems.

In order to get adequate protection against both UVA and
UVB, you should select a sunscreen that provides multispectrum
protection or broad-spectrum protection or UVA/UVB
protection — not just a sunscreen with a high SPF
(UVB) rating. Additionally, the label should list an FDA-
recognized long wavelength UVA sunscreen, such as titanium
oxide or zinc oxide.

Utah has the fourth highest rate of melanoma in the nation. Dr. Glen
Bowen with the Huntsman Cancer Institute
says, “Utah’s rate of skin cancer is high partly
because of the state’s high altitude and southern
latitude. It also has a high percentage of Caucasians that
is less adapted to sun exposure.” Moreover, the
majority of skin cancer is caused by sun exposure. “About
one person dies every hour in the U.S. of skin cancer, and
the vast majority of these are preventable,” Bowen said.

According to Lydia Velazquez at the FDA, “Our
scientific understanding has grown. We want consumers to
understand that not all sunscreens are created
equal.” Moreover, Velazquez said, “This new
information will help consumers know which products offer
the best protection from the harmful rays of the sun. It
is important for consumers to read the entire label, both
front and back, in order to choose the appropriate
sunscreen for their needs.”

The new rules adopted by the FDA banned the use of certain
words like “sun block,” “waterproof” and “prevents
skin cancer” and require dramatic changes in labeling and
testing for sunscreen products.

You would think those new rules would offer some guidance
or perhaps protection for consumers during the upcoming
summer season. Unfortunately, the FDA postponed the
compliance dates for manufacturer testing and labeling
until Dec. 17, 2012, for most over-the-counter sunscreen
products.

According to Velazquez, “With summer coming, we
wanted to ensure we had sunscreen products available on
store shelves for everyone.”

So for now, we are saddled with the outdated and
misleading SPF labeling for one more season. The new rules
and regulations, seemingly designed to protect consumers,
will have to wait another year before we see significant
changes on sunscreen labeling. Everyone now needs help reading and understanding
SPF labels.

Meanwhile, according to the Environmental Working Group, the Washington,
D.C., think tank, our European neighbors “have more
options than in the United States. … Sunscreen
makers can select from among 27 chemicals for their
formulations, compared to 17 in the U.S. Companies there
… can add any of seven UVA filters to their
product, but (here there are) … only three
available for products.” … European “sun
screen chemicals approved provide up to five times more
UVA protection.”

Consumers in the U.S. have been waiting for five years for
the FDA to approve use of the same compounds. “Until
the FDA approves these ingredients and lifts restrictions
on combining certain active ingredients, strong UVA
protection will be scarce in U.S. sunscreens,” wrote
the EWG.

In the end, the best way to protect yourself is to limit
exposure, although the option seems unpleasant and
impractical for many. Consumers can use multispectrum or
broad-spectrum sunscreens of at least 30 SPF up to 50 SPF.
Above the SPF 50 rating, according to the FDA, there is
limited or unknown effectiveness in higher SPF values.

Broad brimmed hats and su
nglasses should be a part of everyone’s summer
wardrobe, and protective clothes like long-sleeve shirts
are also recommended. A number of companies offer SPF-
rated clothing and protective hats. It should also be
noted that some clothing, if wet, is completely
ineffective as a sun blocker.

The hours of highest exposure are between the hours of 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. in the winter and because of daylight
saving time in the summer, those hours should be adjusted
to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The FDA only says until 2 p.m., however, nearly all other
sources quote 4 p.m. There is disagreement in the sci
entific community on this point. Both the EPA
and the CDC suggest the later time.

Seeking shade as much as possible during this time is
good. Water, snow and sand actually reflect the
sun’s rays and increase the chance of sunburn and
skin damage.

Lastly, visit your dermatologist or doctor for at least
one yearly skin cancer check. Bowen suggests three to four
times a year. Also, watch and check the size, shape and
color of moles. If you notice any changes or if a mole
starts to hurt, bleed, become scaly, or if it grows in
size or changes color, get it checked immediately.

Additional risk factors include having a fair complexion,
blue, green or gray eyes, a family history of skin cancer,
many moles, or having had severe sunburn as a child. All
of these factors may be cause for concern and would put
you at a higher risk requiring you to take extra steps to
protect yourself from the summer sun.

The FDA offers these tips

Sun safety tips

To reduce risks, consumers should regularly use sun
protection measures including:

• Use sunscreens with broad-spectrum SPF values of
  15 or higher regularly and as directed.
• Limit
  time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m.
  and 2 p.m., when the sun’s rays are most intense.
  The FDA’s recommendation is less stringent than most
  other experts in the field who recommend 4 p.m. (Daylight
  saving time is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but this is not included
  in the FDA suggestion and is two hours longer than
  recommended by the FDA, but is recommended by most other
  experts in the field and other government agencies,
  including the EPA and the CDC.)
• Wear clothing to
  cover skin exposed to the sun; for example, long-sleeved
  shirts, pants, sunglasses and broad-brimmed hats.
• Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours, more often
  if you’re sweating or jumping in and out of water.

Mel Borup Chandler lives in
California. He writes about science-related topics for
ksl.com and FamilyNews.com. He and his wife, Sandra, are
also entertainment correspondents for Southern California.
His email address is mbccomentator@roadrunner.com.