By now, everyone should know how dangerous it is to expose your skin to too much sun. The risks associated with overexposure have been well publicized, and people are taking more precautions, including using sunscreens with higher sun protection factors (SPF).
Then why are melanoma rates still rising?
"We think mismarketing of sunscreen really contributes to that problem by giving consumers the idea that they can rely on sunscreen and be out all day safely in the sun," said Sonya Lunder, senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group. "People misuse sunscreen and get more sunburns, not fewer."
Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. To that end, the government has tried to make it easier for consumers to decipher sunscreen labeling.
In 2012, the Food and Drug Administration rolled out new rules defining the term "broad spectrum," which means a sunscreen offers protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) in proportional amounts. Before, sunscreens did not address UVA radiation, which causes skin cancer and early aging but not necessarily the telltale signs of sunburn.
Additionally, claims such as "waterproof," "sweatproof" or "sunblock" are no longer allowed.
Nonetheless, dermatologists say there's still a lot of sunscreen misuse.
The biggest problem is that most people don't use enough.