WASHINGTON -- Under pressure from Congress, government regulators Thursday proposed new "truth in labeling" rules for sunscreen to give consumers clearer, more complete information on protection against cancer-causing ultraviolet rays.

Once finalized, the rules would require manufacturers to test products for protection against two types of ultraviolet rays instead of one, as is now standard. Sunscreen lotions would carry a warning that alone they offered no guarantee against the sun's rays, and that consumers should also stay out of the midday sun and consider wearing hats and long sleeves.

Taken together, the new requirements would help consumers "make informed decisions about protecting themselves against the harmful effects of the sun," said Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, who was treated for melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer, in 1987.

"This will bring things more up to date," said Dr. Sheldon R. Pinnell, a dermatology professor at Duke University Medical Center. "The worry is that people have a false sense of security."

Critics, though calling the agency's move a positive step, expressed concern about when the requirements might be finalized.

For more: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-fda24aug24,1,1735026.story?ctrack=2&cset=true