OVER

2010

Sunscreens 

and Tanning

Many people like to spend time in 

the sun, but it can also cause harm. 

The sun can cause skin cancer, 

sunburn, wrinkles, and skin aging. 

Too much sun can even harm the 

body’s immune system. You don’t 

need to get a sunburn to have skin 

damage. Skin damage builds up 

over your lifetime. 

What causes sunburn? 

The sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays cause 

sunburn. The sun gives out two 

kinds of UV rays: UVA and UVB. 

You need to protect your skin from 

both kinds. Look for sunscreens and 

sunglasses that protect from both 

UVA and UVB rays. 

A sunburn takes 6 to 48 hours to 

develop. You may not know your 

skin is burned until it is too late.

What does SPF mean? 

SPF stands for “sun protection 

factor.” Sunscreen labels have 

an SPF number. The higher the 

number, the better the protection. 

What can I do to protect myself? 

• Don’t stay in the sun for a long 

time, especially in the middle 

of the day. The sun’s rays are 

strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 

spring and summer.

• Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or 

more. 

• Apply more sunscreen every 

two hours and after swimming, 

sweating, or towel drying. 

• Use sunscreen even on a cloudy 

day. Glare from water and snow 

can expose you to UV. 

• Wear clothing that covers your 

body and a hat with a wide brim 

to protect your head and face. 

• Wear sunglasses that protect from 

UV. Not all tinted and dark glasses 

offer UV protection. Check the 

label before you buy them. 

Sunlamps and Tanning Beds

Sunlamps and tanning beds 

give off UV rays just like the sun. 

Tanning beds can be as dangerous 

as tanning outdoors. They may 

be more dangerous than the sun 

because they can be used at any 

time . They can also be more 

dangerous because people can 

expose their entire bodies at each 

session, which would be difficult to 

do outdoors.

FDA and the National Cancer 

Institute recommend avoiding 

tanning beds. 

• All tanning beds put you at higher 

risk of skin cancer. 

• NCI reports that women who use 

tanning beds more than once 

a month are 55 percent more 

likely to develop melanoma, the 

deadliest form of skin cancer. 
FDA Office of Women’s Health http://www.fda.gov/womens

TAKE TIME TO CARE... For yourself, for those who need you.

FDA has standards for sunlamp 

products. All sunlamp products 

must have:

• a warning label

• an accurate timer

• an emergency stop control 

• an exposure schedule 

• protective goggles

Some people do things that 

make tanning beds even more 

dangerous, like:

• Not wearing goggles or wearing 

goggles that are loose or cracked.

• Staying in the bed for the 

maximum time that is listed on the 

label.

• Staying in the bed longer than 

recommended for your skin type. 

Check the label for exposure 

times.

• Using medicines or cosmetics 

that make you more sensitive to 

UV rays. Check with your doctor, 

nurse or pharmacist.

What are “sunless” tanning 

products? 

• Sunless tanning products are 

cosmetics that make the skin look 

tanned. 

• Most of these products do not 

have sunscreen, so you still need 

to use sunscreen. 

• If you go to a spray-on sunless 

tanning booth, ask for protection 

to keep from breathing in the 

spray. Keep it out of your mouth, 

eyes, and lips. 

• FDA has not approved any tanning 

pills. These pills can have bad 

side effects like include nausea, 

cramping, diarrhea, severe itching, 

and welts. Tanning pills also may 

cause yellow patches inside your 

eyes and affect your eyesight. 

• Some lotions and pills claim to 

make you tan faster. There is no 

proof that these work. “Tanning 

accelerators” are not approved by 

the FDA.

To Learn More:

FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition 

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov

Sunscreens 

and Tanning