WFMY News 2 - Sunscreen

Summertime means longer days, more sun, and more sunburns. Many of us think the sunscreen we use is protection enough. But as 2 Wants To Know found out... not all sunscreens are created equal...even if they claim they are! "If you want the best protection you can get, go for high SPF and UV protection," says Joe Stanfield. Stanfield runs Suncare Lab in Winston-Salem which tests sunscreen for manufacturers. Each product is tested on 20 people using simulated sunlight...UVB and UVA rays. The lab averages the findings to come up with the SPF. The SPF is what shields you from UVB rays. "UVB produces sunburn. UVA is not as powerful for sunburn and penetrates deeper." According to the CDC, UVA contributes to long term skin damage. And even though your bottle says it protects you from UVA ... "Unfortunately in the U.S. there is no way to tell how much UVA protection a product provides because the FDA has not approved any kind of labeling for UVA." Which means the words "UVA Protection" can be on the bottle, even if the protection is just 1%. To get the most UVA protection available, your suncreen must have both avobenzone and octocrylene. "That will tell you that you are buying the best UVA protection you can get." No matter what kind you use, it won't be effective if you don't use enough. The amount Suncare Lab uses on these small testing sites translates to a little more than an ounce in real life.

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YouTube | May 19, 2008

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