Given that the FDA has been reviewing sunscreens since 1978 without action until the new labeling restrictions they issued yesterday, the new FDA sunscreen guidelines really are too little, too late, and fail to address the issue of sunscreen ingredient approval — Europeans and Australians still have more effective choices. Here are the key concepts that the new rules address:

1. YOU NEED TO REAPPLY EVERY 2 HOURS, MORE OFTEN IF YOU SWIM OR SWEAT
The small print has always said this, but bold claims like "SPF 100" and "sweatproof" encourage most of us to ignore the instructions.  New regulations will prohibit these claims.  SPF claims will be limited to 50+, and water resistance  claims will have to be substantiated and quantified in miniutes.

2. YOU NEED UVA COVERAGE AND A MINIMUM OF SPF 15
SPF only measures effectiveness against UVB, which causes sun burn.  UVA causes premature aging and 60-95% of all skin cancers, and is not measured by SPF. New regulations will only allow "Broad Spectrum" labels on products proven to block UVA.  In the mean time, look for physical blocks (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) or chemical blocks (ecamsule, avobenzone and octocrylene) that offer true UVA protection.

3. LIMIT SUN EXPOSURE
Even the best sunscreens can't offer 100% protection.  So limit your sun exposure with clothing, umbrellas and hats, especially between peak hours of 10am and 2pm.

The Environmental Working Group continues to scare monger about the potential of sunscreens containing oxybenzone or retinyl palmitate (vitamin A) to cause cancer.  Since oxybenzone is one of the most commonly used sunscreen ingredients, avoiding it greatly reduces the number of suncreen options available.  An independent report by Memorial Sloan Kettering last March and reported in the New York Times concluded that these fears are unfounded, stating "The safety of sunscreens has now been studied in labs and on live subjects by research scientists for years, and the evidence that sunscreens are safe and effective is overwhelming." If you're still unconvinced, use a physical block sunscreen. They're generally more expensive and less pleasant to use, but worthwhile if they reduces your irrational fear.

I'm using Anew Solar Advance this summer, and recommend it highly.  But if price is a concern, check out the CVS and Rite-Aid brand sunscreens.  While they don't have the same sun damage repair claim, they do protect as well as any other sunsreens out there.  Just don't forget to reapply.