How water resistant is Green Screen®?

Kabana Skin Care offers two products that comply with the Very Water Resistant standard, which demands 80% of the rated SPF after 80 minutes of immersion in water. Our products that have been highly optimized for use in water are the Bali Bloc line, available as in Cocoa and Vanilla.

Other formulas have not been tested to the FDA-mandated testing for water-resistance, primarily because the water resistance test is statistically weak, and unless a sunscreen is specifically optimized for use in water, saying the product stays on you in the water is misleading and unethical, and gives the user a false sense of security.

The term ‘waterproof’ was excluded from the approved marketing terminology in FDA’s 1999 final monograph governing the manufacture of sunscreen products, because nothing on the planet is waterproof, and this term provides consumers a false sense of security while using the product. Terms that were excluded from the approved marketing language in the 1999 monograph but are still often used by unethical companies seeking to mislead their customers about the effectiveness of their products are:

“Sunblock”

Implies the product blocks the sun. No suncare product blocks the sun entirely, they only provide a measure of screening, which does indeed result in some UV exposure and subsequent damage.

“Waterproof”

Because no sunscreen product can possibly be waterproof, all will wash off eventually. Be wary of sunscreen manufacturers who make this claim – they are in violation of FDA law established to keep consumers safer.

“Sweat-proof”

Same reason as waterproof.

“All day protection”

No sunscreen performs throughout the entire day; they either wash off or photodegrade and become useless UV absorbers.

Effectively, sunscreen manufacturers that use these terms are not only violating FDA labeling law, but also actively increasing skin cancer rates because consumers think they are more protected than they actually are and expose their bodies to longer duration UV damage as a result.

FDA announced in June 2011 that they would be enforcing the 1999 OTC monograph rules on labeling beginning in the middle of 2012. Kabana views this as a positive development, as Green Screen will no longer be as disadvantaged in the marketplace as a result of our ethical marketing policies compared to the competition.

If you’re seeking a superbly water resistant sunscreen, our Bali Bloc line performs better than any other sunscreen product on the market because it was specifically optimized for use in water. It’s available in Cocoa, Vanilla and soon Unscented. All contain 100% organic ingredients.

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Posted in: Product Questions