sunscreen

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Beauty

New Not Annoying-to-Apply Sunscreens Hit Shelves

At this point you've no doubt read countless articles about how you should douse yourself with sunscreen--not only will it help prevent skin cancer but it will also prevent you from looking like a chewed up piece of leather in 20 years. The problem is that it's a big hassle--it takes a long time to apply correctly and a lot of the formulations out there are thick, chalky and difficult to blend in. Thanks to two new innovative launches, sunscreen is way less annoying. We tried 'em out.

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Beauty

Don't Get Burned by the New FDA Sunscreen Guidelines: Here's Everything You Need to Know

It's summer and I already have a bad farmer tan and some new freckles to prove it, thanks to a careless (and hatless) weekend spent in the suburbs with friends. It's time to stock up on sunscreen, and while it's not the sexiest beauty product out there, it's a necessary evil--unless you want wrinkles, weird dark spots...oh and don't forget cancer. We know--you've heard all this before. What you may not have heard is that the way you are using sunscreen needs to change.

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Beauty

FDA Cracks Down on Confusing Sunscreen Labeling

The FDA made history yesterday by announcing some new rules for regulating sunscreen labeling. The FDA has been evaluating sunscreen labeling since 1978, without ever doing much about it. Now, at the urging of environmental groups and Congress, the agency announced that the industry is in for a lot of change. Sunscreens can be confusing, from the ingredients in the product to the claims made on the packaging. The FDA’s biggest concern was regarding UVA/UVB protection, also called “broad spectrum.” While both types of UV rays contribute to sunburn, UVA rays are the biggest culprits in skin cancer and premature aging. Not all products protect against both types of UV rays. The new guidelines should make everything a bit clearer for consumers. Companies have a year to revise their labels; smaller companies have two years. A quickie summary of the changes:

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Beauty

Beach Beauty: A Dermatologist Clears Up a Few Things About SPF and "Natural" Sunscreens

Despite the fact that it’s probably never going to be warm or sunny in New York City ever again, we’re sure it must be spring somewhere out there in the world. And spring means sun. And sun means wrinkles and skin cancer (not to be negative or anything). We all know we should be using sunscreen, and we also know it’s not one of the sexier beauty products out there. But talk to us in 20 years when all your friends are asking you for the name of your plastic surgeon. You can smugly say, “Sunscreen.”