Sunscreen: Americans Are Confused About The Labels On Their Sunblock

Many Americans are well aware that wearing sunscreen can help protect against premature aging and skin cancer, but a new study shows that many have relatively no clue about the indications that sunscreen labels represent.

"At least half of the patients I see - especially this time of year - ask me questions about sunscreen," Dr. Jennifer Stein, an assistant professor of dermatology at New York University's Langone Medical Center who was not involved in the study, said via Live Science. "Very frequently, people are confused about the different kinds of protection they can get from sunscreen. And everybody wants to know what to look for." 

Researchers at Northwestern University found that only about 43 percent of consumers actually understood the definition of sun protection factor (SPF) and just about seven percent knew what to look for on a label if they wanted a sunscreen that offered protection against early skin aging.

"We need to do a better job of educating people about sun protection and make it easier for them to understand labels," lead study author Dr. Roopal Kundu of the university, in a statement. 

For the study, researchers surveyed 114 participants who had visited the Northwestern Medicine dermatology clinic between June 1 and August 31, 2014. They were asked a series of questions regarding their sunscreen use and their knowledge on labeling terms placed on sunscreen bottles. Lastly, their demographic information was recorded.

While close to 80 percent of participants had purchased sunscreen in 2013 primarily to prevent risk of sunburn and skin cancer, there were still many misconceptions regarding sunscreen. 

Roughly 44 percent of participants didn't know how much sunscreen needed to be applied to the skin for protection; 71 percent didn't understand that SPF is only meant to tell you how effective the sunscreen is against preventing sunburns, which is caused by UV-B radiation; 93 percent didn't understand that only broad spectrum sunscreens can protect against skin aging and 62 percent didn't understand that labeling terms on sunscreen could ultimately determine how much skin cancer protection might be received.

"A lot of people seem unsure about the definition of SPF, too," Kundu added. "Only 43 percent understood that if you apply SPF 30 sunscreen to skin 15 minutes before going outdoors, you can stay outside 30 times longer without getting a sunburn."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via JAMA Dermatology.

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