Sun, Skin, and the "New Rules"

Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Morningside Soapbox! 

To start off with something timely and wise, I picked skin care…what a surprise!

I know we don’t really think much about our skin until later, when we begin to show signs of aging.  I remember the days when I would lather the baby oil on my skin and fry, knowing that eventually, the red would turn into a beautiful tan…if I could avoid excessive peeling which, by the way, didn’t happen often.  The good news is that if a tan is a must for you, you can go about it slowly with the aid of good sunscreen and a lot of common sense.   The FDA has concluded that sun exposure is an important public health issue and has recently issued its final regulations on sun screens.   Here are some of the key points in the FDA’s new sun screen rules as outlined by the Skin Cancer Foundation.  I wanted to highlight some of the most important points for you.

·      Sunscreens may be labeled “broad-spectrum” if they provide protection against ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.

·      Only broad-spectrum sunscreens with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher can state that they protect against skin cancer if used as directed with other sun protection measures.

·      Sunscreens with an SPF of 2-14 will be required to have a warning stating that the product has not been shown to help prevent skin cancer or early skin aging.

·      The terms “sunblock”, “sweatproof” and “waterproof” are no longer allowed on sunscreen labels.

·      A sunscreen may claim to be “water resistant”; however, the product must specify if it offers 40 minutes or 80 minutes of protection while swimming or sweating, based on standard testing. Sunscreens that are not water resistant must include a direction instructing consumers to use a water resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating.

·      Sunscreens cannot claim to provide sun protection for more than two hours without reapplication.

·      Sunscreen manufacturers will have one year to comply with the FDA ruling; smaller companies will have two years.

·      The ingredients in sunscreens marketed today have been used for many years and FDA does not have any reason to believe these products are not safe for consumer use.

·      The FDA reiterated that sunscreen alone is not enough, and should be used in conjunction with a complete sun protection regimen, including seeking shade, wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, hats and sunglasses.

Glad those days of baby oil and burns are over!  This summer I am all about SPF 30, a hat and shades!  So, enjoy the summer, and remember to take care of YOU!