Read any good sunscreen labels lately? It's a smart idea, even though federal regulators have delayed new labeling rules intended to make labels more accurate and less misleading.
Many manufacturers were not ready for the switch, and to head off a summer sunscreen shortage, the Food and Drug Administration gave them until December.
But summer is days away, and peak sunscreen-buying season is now. Consumers are faced with thousands of products and a mix of old and new labels, says Farah Ahmed of the Personal Care Products Council.
With new rules on hold, protect yourself
So which should you buy? And how exactly should you use the stuff? Here's the best advice:
Choose SPF 15 or higher. Products with lower sun-protection factors help prevent sunburn but don't do enough to protect from wrinkles and skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends at least a 30 SPF, partly because most people don't use enough lotion to get full protection.
Choose "broad spectrum." Under new rules, products labeled "broad spectrum" will have to prove they offer enough protection from UVA and UVB rays, which damage the skin.
Ignore hype. The term "sunblock" will be banned from new labels; no product totally blocks harmful rays. "Waterproof" and "sweatproof" also have been declared misleading; all products wear off. Some dermatologists also consider SPFs over 50 hype because the additional protection isn't significant.
Don't rely on sunscreen alone. Just wearing sunscreen won't save your skin -- especially if you falsely believe it allows you to spend extra hours in the sun. Limit exposure, especially from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and cover up with hats, sunglasses and clothing, says Henry Lim, chief of dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. "It has to be a total package."
Zoe Draelos, a consulting professor of dermatology at Duke University in Durham, N.C., says people "get lulled into a false sense of security by just wearing sunscreen." She says people still like the look of a tan or think it protects their skin; it's actually a sign damage has begun.
"Don't work on your tan," says Deborah Sarnoff of the Skin Cancer Foundation in New York. "Work on protecting your skin and preventing skin cancer."
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