Sunscreen is more than SPF

When you read a sunscreen label, don't skip the fine print — and don't forget to read between the lines.

Consumers who want to save their skin this summer need to be vigilant, sun protection experts say, because confusing, sometimes misleading labels still line drugstore shelves nearly two years after the Food and Drug Administration proposed new labeling rules. Companies that make the products say they comply with current rules.

The new rules could be finalized by September, says FDA spokeswoman Rita Chapelle. Companies will then have up to 18 months to comply, she says.

In the meantime, consumers are stuck with current labels, which usually emphasize, in big letters, just one fact about a product: its SPF, or sun protection factor. That fact is good to know. Link