Ready to test your sun safety knowledge? Close your books (browsers too!) and start clicking through the Quiz to gauge what you know. Share your score with friends at the end, and they will chalk it up to your new-found love of sun protection.
A daily suncare regimen can help to prevent both sunburn and skin cancer, and even premature skin aging. Look for a sunscreen of SPF 15 and above that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. For a complete sun protection program, wear sun protective clothing including sunglasses and a hat, and seek shade.
Whether you’re wearing an SPF 15 or SPF 100, you still need to reapply at least every two hours to make sure you’re properly protected from the sun’s damaging rays. Make sure to follow the directions, also including to reapply immediately after swimming, toweling off, or sweating.
About 80% of UV rays can penetrate clouds on an overcast day. This means that it’s important to wear sunscreen even if it’s cloudy. Find a sunscreen with broad spectrum protection to help protect you from sunburn, skin cancer and premature skin aging. All Coppertone® lotions and sprays with an SPF 15 or greater in stores today already meet the new FDA standard for “broad spectrum” protection.
A sunscreen with an SPF 15 blocks approximately 93 percent of the UV rays, while an SPF 30 blocks about 97 percent of those rays. To ensure you’re being protected from the rays that can cause skin cancer and early skin aging, make sure you purchase a sunscreen labeled “broad spectrum,” which protects against both UVB and UVA rays.
For babies under 6 months, consult a pediatrician. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents should keep babies younger than six months out of direct sunlight. Find shade under a tree, umbrella, or stroller canopy. (Reference) If your baby is 6 months or older, try a tear free and gentle sunscreen, like Coppertone® Water BABIES® Pure & Simple, which is oil, fragrance and dye free.
A. SPFs will be limited to no more than “50+”
B. Products that have SPF values less than 15 and/or aren't broad spectrum will require a warning it may not prevent skin cancer or early skin aging
C. A required Drug Facts box on the sunscreen package
Due to the new regulations, consumers may find that their favorite sunscreen brands look a little different at shelf this season. In fact, Coppertone® has refreshed the overall look of each of its product lines with a new logo, color scheme and ghosted SPF numbers. The new packaging was redesigned meet the new FDA standards and to make it easier for consumers to find and choose the sunscreen that best fits their needs. To learn more about the new packaging, click here.
Under the new FDA sunscreen regulations, labels can no longer use the term “water resistant.” Water resistance claims on the front label must indicate whether the sunscreen remains effective for 40 or 80 minutes while swimming or sweating, based on standard testing. Be sure to buy a sunscreen that is water resistant for at least either 40 or 80 minutes and remember to reapply at least every two hours or after swimming, towel-drying or perspiring as directed.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, men over age 40 spend the most time outdoors and have the highest annual exposure to ultraviolet radiation. (Reference) Interestingly, in a study Coppertone® recently conducted on the new FDA sunscreen rules, fewer than half of men (46 percent) had heard about the new standard for broad spectrum protection.