Senators call for stronger sunscreen standards

PROVIDENCE—Two Democratic U.S. senators from New England are pushing for stronger testing and labeling standards for sunscreen.

U.S. Sens. Jack Reed, of Rhode Island, and Chris Dodd, of Connecticut, have introduced legislation that calls on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require manufacturers to test sunscreen products against ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays.

“Sweatproof, waterproof, that’s nice, but we need something more than that, something that can tell a consumer exactly how much protection they’re getting, what types of protection they’re getting. I’m urgning the FDA to move out. I’d be very happy if they concluded the rule-making before we conclude the legislation,“ Reed said.

Currently, officials said the FDA requires testing and labeling for sun protection factors, which mostly measures UVB rays that cause sunburns. But they add the FDA does not have standards for UVA rays, a major cause of skin cancer and premature aging.

The measure also would have the FDA implement a standardized labeling system for a product’s protection against both types of rays.

NBC 10 contributed to this report.