At first glance, the sunscreen bottles, tubes and canisters on store shelves this spring may not look much different from what consumers have seen in the past.
But look closer. Gone are misleading terms such as “waterproof” and “sunblock.” Added are warnings that some products don’t protect against wrinkles and skin cancer and that others do so only as part of a larger sun-protection plan.
These changes and others are the result of new labeling rules from the Food and Drug Administration. The long-delayed rules cover all sunscreen products shipped by large manufacturers since mid-December.
Although consumers may still spot some old products, shipped before the deadline, most of the 4,500 or so relabeled products should be on shelves now or very soon, says Farah Ahmed, who represents sunscreen makers for the Personal Care Products Council. The switch is a huge undertaking, she says, because it includes not only beach and sport products, but every makeup, moisturizer or lip balm that carries an SPF (sun protection factor) number.
But will the new labels help consumers better protect their
Read the rest of this article on USA Today: New Sunscreen Labels: How to Read the Fine Print
