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Comment by kourt | Hacker News Reader

Aside from cancer, one needs to be concerned about aging: just look at the difference between the sides of truck driver William McElligott's face: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/06/06/bill-mcelligott-sun-...

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The UV frequencies that contribute most to that effect aren't really blocked by the sorts of sunscreen you can buy in the US.

What places have said sorts of sunscreen?

Europe and Japan. You can probably order some Garnier Ombrelle suncreen from Canada that contains Mexoryl. That's the UVA-blocking ingredient that we're missing in the US.

Why is it not in the US?

Because the FDA works in mysterious ways apparently

http://www.wnd.com/2013/03/fda-to-consumers-burn-for-all-we-...

Effective "broad spectrum" sunscreens have been available in the USA for years. Perhaps there's a wider or better variety of UVA-blocking sunscreens outside the USA, but what you can get here is still effective and approved/regulated by the FDA.

> sunscreens will have to prove they provide good protection against both forms of the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays to claim they reduce the risk for skin cancer, sunburns and wrinkles ... Only sunscreens that pass a test that shows that they shield skin from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays will be allowed to be labeled “broad spectrum”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/fda-cracks-down-on-su...

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