(August 23, 2007)--The Food and Drug Administration is proposing new rules covering the ingredients, labeling and testing of sunscreens.

The long-delayed rules would keep in place the SPF, or sun protection factor, rating system for UVB rays and add a four-star system for rating protection against UVA rays.

Until recently, most sunscreens sold in the US have filtered out UVB rays but not UVA rays.

While UVB rays cause sunburn, the UVA rays are associated with more serious and longer-term damage, including wrinkles and cancer.

The proposed rules would require sunscreen makers to assess UVA protection in the lab and on people if they want to claim their products protect against those rays.

They also must tweak the testing requirements for UVB protection, capping the SPF claims at
50-plus.

Makers would be required to give the UVA and UVB rating equal prominence on product labels.

Click Here For FDA Web Site

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