The FDA is pushing for sunscreens to come up with a better rating system as to how effective they are in preventing skin cancers and skin aging and wrinkles, and is pushing for more education on protecting our children from the sun more adamantly since early childhood sun exposure has been strongly linked to skin cancer in these kids as adults, and much of the damage incurred to our skin by the sun happens to occur in our earlier formative years. All the more reason for parents to be prudent in slathering the best SPF they can on their kids, even if the sun is not fully out or strong.
The new evidence in childhood sunlight exposure doesn’t show what we all thought to be true, that the amount of sunburns as a child leads to an increased rate of skin cancer as adults, but instead shows that overall sun exposure, not just sunburns, actually increases the likelihood of skin cancer development as an adult.
The FDA is trying to get SPF sunscreen lotions to improve on their current SPF rating system, so that they can more adequately identify how well the SPF level protects against a deeper penetrating UV ray, which is strongly linked not only to skin cancer, but also to wrinkles. In addition to this additional protection factor being added to our favorite sun protection creams, there will be increased focus on education as to when the sun’s rays are the strongest and therefore most damaging.
If you go to weather.com, it will even tell you what the “UV index” is for the day, and this can help you determine how much time you spend outdoors as well as what levels of protection you need for that day and also what times of the day will be the lowest risk as far as UV penetration goes. You can also use additional precautions such as wearing gloves if you’re gardening, and wearing big floppy hats to protect your head, scalp and face better – although UV rays can penetrate through some clothes, so you should still wear SPF as well.
