Here comes the sun
Your sunscreen is lying to you.
The summer sun in South Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast beaches is brutal. Your current sunscreen isn't the best, but help from Europe is on the way.
Why it matters: Baton Rouge's UV index hits extreme levels by noon from April through July, with unprotected skin burning in as little as 10 minutes. Most American sunscreens deliver only about 25% of the UVA protection their labels imply.
What's been missing: The SPF number on your bottle measures UVB—the rays that cause sunburns, not the ones that cause cancer.
- UVA rays penetrate deeper, drive skin cancer and premature aging, and current U.S. chemical filters don't block them reliably.
- The FDA just approved the first new sunscreen ingredient in more than 25 years—bemotrizinol—which blocks both types of UV rays and doesn't break down in heat or direct sun.
- Neutrogena and others are expected to have bemotrizinol-based products on shelves by September.
What to buy now: Mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide is your best current option—stable, balanced UVA and UVB protection without a prescription.
- Stick to SPF 50 or lower; higher numbers don't improve UVA coverage and create false confidence.
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios and CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen are widely available at local drugstores and earn consistently high marks from dermatologists.
The bottom line: Better sun protection is coming—but zinc oxide, reapplied every two hours, is the right call right now.
