Sunscreen plastic bottles tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

sunscreen-plastic-bottles-tell-the-truth-the-whole-truth-and-nothing-but-itIt's nearly summertime again. And just as there's no parenting rulebook to keep your kids from gallivanting around causing trouble while out of school, there's no guide to sunscreen packaging either. You may have a summer's worth of homework ahead of you, but we're here to help¦ with the basics of sunscreen that is, we're not touching that homework thing with an eight-foot pool noodle. <h3>The ubiquitous sunscreen </h3> You can find sunscreen nearly everywhere you turn these days. Whether you're at a service station or browsing through a high-end sporting goods store, chances are there's a selection of sunscreens waiting for you at the checkout. Due to its plentiful and easy-to-access nature, sunscreen is considered an over-the-counter item in the United States. And little does hard-nosed Joe from the construction crew know, but sunscreen is also considered a cosmetic. Not only there to guard from the sting of summer (aka, sunburn) but also to protect his taut skin. It may raise questions regarding Joe's manliness among his coworkers, yes, but at least he'll look radiant when summoned to testify on sunscreen efficacy. Professionals from the personal care industry understand that there's a lot more to a sunscreen than lotions and potions. In fact sunscreens are tightly managed products, all based on the FDA's rules and regulations regarding ingredients, label claims and warnings outlined in the OTC (over-the-counter) Monograph. The Monograph (is it just me or does that sound kinda ominous?) got a facelift last summer and we're here to help you clean up any loose strings following the nip and tuck. <h3>Changes to the sun docket </h3> Nobody remembers how important label claims and warnings are until a bunch of people are hauled into a court room over a bunch of plastic bottles. Here are the need-to-know details regarding packaging sunscreen in plastic bottles this summer. <ul> <li>Language counts. If this was a Communication Theory class I could go on and on about how each of these regulation changes has come about in one way or another due to language. But it ain't, so this will be short and sweet. From now on ambiguous terms such as, sunblock, sweatproof, waterproof and instant protection are not allowed to describe sunscreen, but must be replaced with more factual (and less misleading) terms like water resistant.</li> <li>SPF capped out at 50+ and spectrum specifics. No sunscreen can carry a SPF claim higher than 50+. This may sound like bad news to the pale-skin-like-vampire population (they supported the SPF 80+ wave all on their own), but it really won't make much of a difference. It looks like the proof is in the plastic bottles full of sunscreen marked SPF 50+. SPF 50+ has all the broad-spectrum protection (preventing sunburn, skin cancer and early aging) anyone will need. Before making this decision the FDA requested data demonstrating that products with an SPF rating higher than 50 actually provide additional benefits. Those non-broad spectrum rebels, who -according to the new regulation – may gain protection from sunburn only, are on their own when it comes to protection from skin cancer and early aging.</li> <li>The water issue. As mentioned earlier, plastic bottles full of sunscreen do not house a waterproof product, but a water resistant one. New regulation mandates that packaging reminds users to reapply based on the product's specifics (ex: after 40 or 80 minutes in water, after drying). Non-water resistant sunscreens are to encourage the use of water resistant sunscreens when swimming or sweating somewhere on their plastic bottles.</li> </ul> Summer may be all about fun in the sun, but packaging sunscreen in plastic bottles is serious business. The fate of skin around the world rests on your shoulders. Effective plastic bottles and up-to-date warnings and label claims go together like a Coleman cooler full of Igloo Pops, the perfect summer combo. What are your thoughts on the new sunscreen regulations? Post a comment.