In December of last year, new regulations from the Food and Drug Administration regarding sunscreens came into effect. No longer can a product make claims that it’s waterproof or that it can last for more than two hours without additional application. And if a sunscreen doesn’t protect users from both UVA and UVB rays (known as broad spectrum protection), it has to carry a warning outlining the fact that it can’t prevent skin cancer, only sunburns. That same warning is to be affixed if the SPF is lower than 15.
These regulations were put into place so that consumers would be kept better informed and thus could make the right choice when it comes to sunscreen products. The FDA is relating this information, as well as some vital safety tips, in a new report released in honor of Don’t Fry Day next Friday.
Among the tips that consumers should consider is that sunscreen should go on a least a quarter of an hour before you head out into the sun. If you have a baby, especially if they’re less than six months old, you should refrain from exposing them to direct sunlight. You yourself should avoid being in the sun between 10 and 2, as this is where the sun’s rays are at their most fierce.
California’s beautiful beaches are the envy of the rest of the country, but we must be safe when we visit them. Check out the EPA’s UV Index Report before you go to the beach to determine the level of radiation on any given day.