Health: Indecent Exposure.(sunscreen)

indecent exposure

Some people don't use it enough; others rely on it too much. What scientists now know -- and many people don't -- about sunscreen.

more strongly regulated or enforced." In fact, the FDA prohibited use of the word "sunblock" in 1999, along with the terms "waterproof" (sunscreen needs to be reapplied after exposure to water) and "all-day protection" (a plain impossibility). But regulations are in a strange state of flux right now. The FDA suspended the 1999 policies to address UVA testing and claims, entering the industry into a state of legal limbo. As a result, "if companies use the words 'sunblock' or 'waterproof' we can't really take an enforcement action against them," says FDA official Charles Ganley. The policies are scheduled to be updated in April 2004. "The current situation is not a good one," says one cosmetic chemist. Stronger, smarter sunscreens should be available within the next few years. The FDA is reviewing promising ingredients from overseas, while scientists are trying to create a better standard than SPF for evaluating sunscreens' effectiveness. (Products in the UK, Germany, Japan, and Australia also show a UVA- protection rating, which is usually based on how long a person wearing sunscreen can be exposed to UVA rays before darkening.) "Everything in the SPF system is based on prevention of redness," Naylor says. "What we ought to be doing is looking at a way to measure prevention of genetic damage." Sunscreens may not offer immunity from skin cancer, but they do deliver aesthetic benefits. Much of what people think of as aging -- wrinkles and discoloration -- is sun damage that the use of protective lotion can delay, says ...