Key quote:
Shade your kids. Strong new evidence suggests overall sun exposure in childhood, not just burns, is a big key to who later develops deadly skin cancer.
Who knew? When I was a kid sunblock was just for burn prevention. And I didn't burn. I was slathered with it at the beach, but nowhere else. Nobody knew this stuff in the 70s and 80s, though.
The government has decided to step in and change its rules on sunscreens, considering that the old rules only test UVB blockers, not UVA blockers (which are newer, if I'm not mistaken--I know I never used to see them on sunscreen bottles):
The news comes as the government is finishing long-awaited rules to improve sunscreens.
The Food and Drug Administration wants sunscreens to be rated not just for how well they block the ultraviolet-B rays that cause sunburn — today's SPF rankings — but for how well they protect against deeper-penetrating ultraviolet-A rays that are linked to cancer and wrinkles.
Good for the FDA! I for one am not a fan of cancer or wrinkles. Although I more actively fear wrinkles at this point, being olive-skinned....rightly or wrongly.
The proposed rules are undergoing a final review and should be issued in weeks, FDA policy director Jeff Shuren told The Associated Press. Still, sunscreen bottles won't look different any time soon: The proposal will be followed by a public comment period before going into effect.
Well written article.
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