FDA seeks sunscreen labels that explicitly state UVA protection

0 Comments | The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA, Aug 24, 2007 | by RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar

Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON

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 indoor 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 long-term damage such as wrinkles and sunspots , whereas UVB causes tanning and 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 in a doctor's office 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.

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. Some tanning products provide no UVA protection, and the FDA is proposing such lotions bear a label indicating that they offer no safeguard against UVA rays.

The proposal also would make changes to the SPF ratings for protection against sunburn.

In addition, the FDA is calling for a new warning on all sunscreen lotions saying that exposure to the sun increases the risk of skin cancer, as well as other damage, including premature aging. The label will say that using sunscreen is only one way to protect against the sun, and others include wearing protective clothing, such as a hat or long-sleeved shirt, and staying out of the sun, particularly during the middle of the day.