| New FDA Rulings on Water Resistant Sunscreen |
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| Thursday, 28 July 2011 13:49 | |||
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Well, this no-brainer mindset when it comes to sunscreens will soon be a thing of the past. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on June 14, 2011 new requirements for all over-the-counter sunscreens. These new regulations are aimed at improving the effectiveness of sunscreen products currently being sold, and make them easier for consumers to identify and use. The new FDA sunscreen requirements address UVA and UVB protection, as well as the water and sweat proof claims. Certain terms like (you guessed it!) "waterproof", "sweatproof" and "sunblock" will no longer be permitted on sunscreen labels, as the FDA sees these claims as misleading. The new terminology you will come to recognize will be "water resistant" and "very water resistant". What is the new water resistant requirement?In these new rules, which go into effect next year, water resistance claims on product labels must state how long the user can expect the specified SPF protection to hold up while swimming or sweating. Manufacturers are allowed to claim how long their products are water resistant, based on standard testing. A sunscreen claiming to be water resistant must pass third party testing. This test involves applying sunscreent to human volunteers. After at least 15 minutes of drying time, the volunteer is immersed to mid-back in gently flowing water between 25 and 32 degrees celsius. The subject stays immersed in water for 20 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of drying period. This is repeated again for a total of 40 minutes of water immersion, for the 40 minute claim. The actual effectiveness of the sunscreen after the 40 minutes of water immersion is then measured. This is the SPF that can then be printed on the bottle of the sunscreen that claims 40 minutes of water resistance. Very resistant tests would repeat until a total of 80 minutes immersion is reached. If a product carries no water resistance claims, the label must advise users to apply a water resistant sunscreen while swimming or sweating. European water resistance testing standard was defined in 2005 and are similar - there is a 40 minute and an 80 minute test. The drying time between immersions is 15 minutes. Temperature is 29 degrees celsius +/- 2 degrees. To claim water resistance, the SPF efficacy after immersion must be greater or equal to 50% at the 90% confidence interval. So, how often should you really reapply?At least every 2 hours, according to the FDA. If a product is labeled "water resistant" reapply after 40 minutes of vigorous activity in water, after 80 for "very water resistant". Same goes if you have been sweating a lot or towel dry. Remember: It is always better to be safe than sorry. Here are sun safety tips straight from the FDA:
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Waterproof... Sweatproof... Sunblock... These terms are so widely used on sunscreen labels that we have become blind to their meaning. Many consumers grab the bottle with the most "proofs" and the highest SPF and call it good.
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