It was a busy few days after the FDA announced its new sunscreen labeling guidelines. On balance, the public will benefit but complete clarity remains elusive. Bottom line: use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 that also provides broad spectrum (ingredients to look for: avobenzone or zinc oxide) apply every couple of hours while active outdoors (claims of sweat-proof and waterproof will no longer be accepted by the FDA); and make sure that you avoid the sun during peak hours of 10 am to 4 pm. Don’tforget hats and other sun protective clothing as you’ll read in the NPR interview.
Here’s a brief extract of my comments from All Things Considered with Nancy Shute:
The FDA says there’s no such thing as a waterproof sunscreen. They all wash off in the pool, or with sweat. Starting next summer, the best a label will be able to claim is that a sunscreen is water resistant.
Leffell adds:
“A white T-shirt gives you a sun protection factor of 6, which frankly is not very helpful at all,” he says. “But there are so many products out there: sun-protective clothing products that are rated for their sun protection and don’t look like prison uniforms anymore. They actually look like real clothing.”
And protective clothing that looks like real clothes is a good thing, because skin cancer rates in young people are on the rise. Leffell is seeing cases of young women in their 20s developing skin cancer, “which used to be unheard of,” he says.
Also, other points are made in the Hartford Courant
What is your sunscreen label really saying? This topic is discussed in an article in the May edition of Vogue Magazine. In that article Dr. Leffell answers the question “What security do the tempting new SPF 100s actually provide?” 
Dr. Leffell is quoted in a recent Fitness Magazine article that discusses the little red and white bumps that crop up along your bra line after a long outdoor workout. “If the bumps are white or colorless and don’t hurt, they’re probably blocked sweat glands. Try airing out the area as much as possible, and alternate between racerback and tank styles to avoid irritating the same area of skin. If the bumps are red and tender, they’re likely pimples; apply an OTC acne treatment with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to dry them out.” 
Before you lie in the sun without your sunscreen this summer, consider that cases of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, are rising significantly. In fact, more new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year than new cases of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer combined. 
Fifty of New York’s best doctors are at Yale Medical Group
Connecticut Magazine named 46 Yale Medical Group physicians among the best in the state in its 2010 annual “Top Doctors” issue. Dr. David Leffell was listed top in Dermatology.