19 Things You Don’t Know About Sunscreen

Sunscreen fact no. 3

SPF only measures UVB rays, not UVA rays. So for the best protection, look for labels that also say UVA protection. — Dermatologist David J. Goldberg, MD, JD

Because of this, the FDA is changing its regulation on sunscreen labeling. In addition to SPF factor, sunscreens will also have a four-star system to measure UVA protection. One star = low UVA protection, two stars = medium protection, three stars = high protection and four stars = the highest UVA protection available over the counter. If a sunscreen can’t get a one star rating it will be labeled “no UVA protection.” — fda.gov