The Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation
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
- John Epstein, MD, University of California at San Francisco
- Heidi Jacobe, MD, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
- Henry W. Lim, MD, Henry Ford Hospital
- Steven Q. Wang, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
The sunscreen requirements 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 Seal is also granted to such products as sunglasses and window glass film, awnings, and umbrellas, sun-protective clothing, and laundry products that provide UV protection for fabrics.
More than 600 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.
