FDA proposes new guidelines for sunscreens

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday that the labels of over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen drug products would highlight the clearer, more complete information about the level of protection they provide against cancer-causing ultraviolet rays.

The government regulators Thursday proposed new "truth in labeling" rules for sunscreen. The newly proposed guidelines will require manufacturers to test for protection against two types of ultraviolet rays instead of one.

The sunscreens offered until now provide protection against sunburns only (caused by UVB rays) and not against skin cancer (caused by deep penetrating UVA rays). The SPF, or sun protection factor, number mentioned on different sunscreen products indicates the amount of time for which the product shall protect the skin from burning in the sun. For example, a SPF 15 sunscreen indicates 15 min protection under the sun whereas in normal circumstances 1 min exposure under the sun causes sunburns.

Now, for the first time, the US health agency is proposing sunscreen standards to include the level of protection they provide from the Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays which are linked to skin cancer (melanoma), wrinkles and skin aging.

"For more than 30 years, consumers have been able to identify the level of UVB protection provided by sunscreens using only sunburn protection factor or SPF values," said FDA Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach.

"Under today's proposal, consumers will also now 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."

FDA has been facing criticism for failing to set significant sunscreen standards. Due to the agency’s failure to set enforceable standards for sunscreen, the sunscreen industry remains pretty much unregulated.

People generally use sunscreen to protect their skin from the Sun’s carcinogenic and aging effects, but a public watchdog group in the United States in June exposed some astonishing facts about the sunscreens, revealing that most of the brands are not capable of providing enough protection from the sun's harmful rays.

In one of its kind analysis of the safety and effectiveness of more than 700 name-brand sunscreens, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization which aims to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment, found that over 80 percent of the sunscreens in the market, including some top-selling brands, provide inadequate protection.

Sunlight, which is composed of the visible light that we can see, includes three types of radiations, Visible Light that gives us the colours we see, Infrared Radiation that gives us the warmth we feel, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

There are three basic types of Ultraviolet (UV) light that we can not see, VA (long-wave UV), UVB (sunburn UV), and UVC (short-wave UV). UVA light is responsible for tanning and UVB for sunburn. Both can damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer.

Although ultraviolet rays are necessary for our body to produce vitamin D, a substance that helps strengthen bones and safeguards against diseases such as rickets but excess of it causes "erythema", also known as sunburn.

Melanoma, the deadliest of all skin cancers, is anticipated to affect almost 60,000 Americans this year and might end up killing some 8,100. Doctors have found the skin cancer in adults as well as children which is caused when they’re exposed to the sun during beach vacations, school recesses, and outdoor sports.

Dermatologists have found that the UV rays can even penetrate through glass, differ from day to day.

UV rays are also used as a therapy for psoriasis, a condition in which the skin sheds its cells too quickly, resulting in itchy, scaly patches on various parts of the body. But UV rays slow down the growth of these cells.