If you want to be assured that a sun-protective product is a good one, look for The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation on the label. Sun-protective products that have been awarded the Seal of Recommendation have met stringent criteria for safety and effectiveness.

The Foundation's Photobiology Committee, comprised of physicians expert in the effects of solar radiation, determines whether a sun- protective product satisfies the Foundation's criteria. To earn the Seal, a manufacturer must prove that its product sufficiently and safely “aids in the prevention of sun-induced damage to the skin.” Our Photobiology Committee is comprised of:

• Warwick Morison, MD, (Chairman), Johns Hopkins University at Green Spring, MD
• John Epstein, MD, University of California at San Francisco
• Heidi Jacobe, MD, Uinveristy of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
• Henry W. Lim, MD, Henry Ford Medical Group, Detroit
• Steven Q. Wang, MD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center at Basking Ridge, NJ

The Seal is granted to sunscreens, sunglasses and window glass film, awnings, and umbrellas, sun-protective clothing, and laundry products that provide UV protection for fabrics.

Seal of Recommendation Requirements

The requirements for sunscreen include:

• A sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater
• Validation of the SPF number by testing on 20 people
• Acceptable test results for phototoxic reactions and contact irritation
• Substantiation for any claims that a sunscreen is water- or sweat-resistant

The requirements for fabric include:

• An ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 30 or greater
• Acceptable test results according to the AATCC method or AS/NZS Standard

The requirements for film/glass include:

• Blocking 99 percent or more of UVA (>320-380nm), UVB (>290-320nm), and UVC radiation (>200-290 nm)
• Acceptable test results for optical transmittance

The requirements for sunglasses include:

• Blocking 99 percent or more of solar UVA (320-400 nm) and UVB radiation (290-320 nm)
• Acceptable test results for optical transmittance

More than 800 sun-protection products carry the Seal. It may appear on product labels, packaging and advertising. It has been featured as a useful guide to sun protection products on such programs as “Good Morning America” and in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Reader's Digest.

Browse the products that have qualified for The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation.