Planning to purchase a new sunscreen that you’ve found in the market or online? Better think doubly before you do that. According to a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group, a research organization from in Washington D.C., four out of five sunscreen lotions do not give sufficient protection against the detrimental rays of the sun or contain harmful chemicals.

Virtually all of these sunscreens seem to be working for sunburns, but their efficiency in battling skin cancer is questionable. They seem to be having little to no effect on the prevalence of melanoma which is the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

A good number of scientists believe that people who apply sunscreens remain in the sun for longer periods of time believing that the sunscreen is protecting them against the sun. It has been observed that FDA, when checking a new brand of sunscreen, asks for the confirmation of its effectiveness against sunburn but it does not ask for confirmation that it prevents melanoma and other types of skin cancer.

But are the manufacturers of the sunscreen really to blame? Before rushing to judgment, we should first examine how the sunscreens have been working up until this point. It has been discovered that sunscreens are indeed effective against sunburn but not against skin cancer. How? Well, the sun emits two types of rays that are hazardous to the skin. These two types of rays are called UVB (ultra violet B rays) and UVA (ultra violet A rays), both of which can cause sunburn. Repeated sunburns may eventually lead to skin cancer. The sunscreens that have been developed until now protect against sunburn caused by UVB but not UVA. Currently, UVA is being looked upon as a moderate factor for melanoma. The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) might very well be effective in shielding against sunburn caused by UVB rays and not UVA rays.

The FDA is now rolling out a labeling system in which the manufacturer of the sunscreen will be required to specify its effectiveness against UVA. In addition, the acronym “SPF” will be changed to mean Sunburn Protection Factor instead of Sun Protection Factor.

Margaret Tucker, Director of Human Genetics Program and Chief of the Genetic Epidemiology Branch at the National Cancer Institute, says that the newer generations of sunscreens might prove to be even more effective in the battle against skin cancer. She has criticized the view that there is an enhanced risk of skin cancer for those who remain out in the sun for longer durations after applying a sunscreen. She insists that people in general do not apply sufficient quantities of the sunscreen while exposed to the sun. According to Tucker, if you sweat, you should apply it once every twenty minutes or at the very least after every two hours or so.