Last night my friend Kathy and I attended a skin event at Gene Juarez put on by Skin Authority. After an information session, accompanied by cheese and wine, we were treated to a glycolic acid peel and an infusion of antioxidants. We were then introduced to skin products that would help our individual issues.


My issue? Spending 20 hours per week in the water, either chlorine or salt, with sun baking my face…well, that’s my issue.


If you’ve read my article about skincare in XRay Magazine, you’ll know I’m well aware of the affects of the sun on aging and skin cancer. I write in the article about SPF, however, SPF only tells you how long you can stay in the sun without “burning” your skin layers.


We’re talking UVB rays, when we’re talking burning. They burn, they tan…but they’re not only the BAD ones. UVA rays we need to be careful of as well, and until now, there was no way to tell if a sunscreen had the UVA protection.


Oh, they say they do. And they have the right ingredients so they “may”. However, we can tell if a sunscreen is a SPF 5 or an SPF 30, right? Not so with the UVA protectants, until now.


The FDA has come up with a 4 star rating system. All sunscreen manufacturers have until May 2009 to have their product tested and products relabeled.


What will the new labeling tell you?


The following outlines the sunscreen label changes:

• A four-star rating and description on the main product label reflects the amount of UVA protection.
  
  
• “Sun protection factor” is now “sunburn protection factor.” The SPF rating continues to reflect the level of UVB protection. “UVB” is placed near the SPF rating on the main product label.
  
  
• The highest SPF number increases from SPF 30 to SPF 50+.
  
  
• Sunscreens must include the following warning: “UV exposure from the sun increases the risk of skin cancer, premature skin aging, and other skin damage. It is important to decrease UV exposure by limiting time in the sun, wearing protective clothing, and using a sunscreen.”
  
  
• Sunscreen labels instruct users to apply the sunscreen “evenly” and “liberally” or “generously” and reapply at least every two hours “to avoid lowering protection.”
  
  

Skin Authority is the first line to have the 4 star rating…and it’s 4 stars.


My opinion? Well, I’ll give it a try. It’s water resistant, so I’ll be wearing it starting today, and reapplying after my dives.


I also picked up their vitamin C lip balm to add sun protection and healing to my lips. I can tell you that it tastes citrusy…and left my lips very hydrated!!


Stay tuned!