Overview
- Record spring heat and high temperatures reported on May 25 have driven renewed public guidance to wear at least SPF 30, choose broad‑spectrum and water‑resistant formulas, apply sunscreen 15–30 minutes before exposure, and reapply every two hours.
- SPF measures protection from UVB (the rays that cause sunburn) but does not quantify UVA protection, and the United States lacks a consumer‑facing UVA‑PF metric used in Europe and Asia, which fuels confusion about how well “broad‑spectrum” products block UVA.
- Regulators are reassessing sunscreen safety and ingredients: the FDA has been tracking systemic absorption of some chemical filters since a 2019 study, has overseen recent recalls for benzene contamination, and has proposed allowing bemotrizinol as a new active ingredient for U.S. sunscreens.
- People routinely underapply sunscreen, with experts on TV and in guidance saying an adult needs roughly six to eight teaspoons for full‑body coverage each application and about a shot‑glass amount to meet labeled protection, which many users do not reach.
- Beyond sunscreens, experts stress simple actions that reduce risk—shade, hats, long clothing and avoiding peak midday sun—and say better textures and new active ingredients could increase daily use if regulators approve broader options and brands deliver cosmetically friendly formulas.