By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
The government proposed new "truth in labeling" requirements for sunscreen Thursday that are intended to give consumers clearer and more complete information about which products offer the best protection against cancer-causing ultraviolet rays from the sun and tanning beds.
The Food and Drug Administration action followed long-standing complaints from consumer groups -- as well as from lawsuits -- alleging shortcomings in the so-called sun protection factor, or SPF, ratings.
Under the new system, sunscreen lotions would be rated on how well they protected against two types of ultraviolet radiation, known as UVA and UVB. UVA light causes the skin to get tanned, whereas UVB causes sunburn. The current SPF ratings measure protection against UVB rays only. The lack of any UVA ratings has been seen as a major loophole.
Both UVA and UVB light can damage the skin and cause skin cancer, but UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin. For years, scientists believed that UVB rays were primarily responsible for the kind of damage that leads to skin cancer, but they now think that UVA light also damages the skin, leading to premature aging and increased risk of cancer.
More than 1 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. In most cases, the lesions are superficial and can be removed with no further complications. But one type of skin cancer, melanoma, develops in the pigment-producing cells of the skin and requires extensive treatment to avoid life-threatening consequences.
"For more than 30 years, consumers have been able to identify the level of UVB protection provided by sunscreens using only 'sunburn protection factor,'" FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said in a statement. "Under today's proposal, consumers will also know the level of UVA protection in sunscreens, which will help them make informed decisions about protecting themselves and their children against the harmful effects of the sun."
Under the FDA proposal, sunscreen lotions would be tested for UVA protection as well as for UVB. They would then be assigned one to four stars, with four representing the highest level of protection.
The proposal also would make changes to the SPF ratings for protection against sunburn. Lotions providing up to SPF 50 -- or 50 times the skin's natural protection against sunburn -- would be recognized.
In addition, the FDA is calling for a new warning on sunscreen lotions saying that exposure to the sun increases the risk of skin cancer.
Rating system for UVA protection Under the proposed regulation, a UVA star rating would be prominently displayed on sunscreen labels, near the SPF rating.
*One star will represent low UVA protection
*Two stars, medium protection
*Three stars, high protection
*Four stars, the highest UVA protection available in an over-the-counter sunscreen product.
If a product does not rate at least one star, the FDA proposes that its labeling bear a "no UVA protection" marking on the front label, near the SPF value.
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