--- title: Skin Cancer is Up, Where's Better Sunscreen? description: The rate of skin cancer has doubled over the last 30 years. Is sunscreen still the best way to cover up? canonical: https://time.com/3907272/skin-cancer-rates-melanoma/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-03T16:14:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:12.565Z article:section: Health og:title: Skin Cancer is Up, Where's Better Sunscreen? og:description: The rate of skin cancer has doubled over the last 30 years. Is sunscreen still the best way to cover up? og:url: https://time.com/3907272/skin-cancer-rates-melanoma/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2a0ea7d29eb28293/698852d055a8591e98a8c550/482438313-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4100 og:image:height: 2306 og:image:alt: 482438313 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Skin Cancer is Up, Where's Better Sunscreen? twitter:description: The rate of skin cancer has doubled over the last 30 years. Is sunscreen still the best way to cover up? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2a0ea7d29eb28293/698852d055a8591e98a8c550/482438313-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's Why Skin Cancer Rates Are Up—and How to Protect Yourself > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Best Weather Apps [Watch (HLS stream): Best Weather Apps](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ypJD6Kin.m3u8) (1:06)  _Published 2014-09-15. Top apps for tracking tornadoes, hurricanes, allergies and more_ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jun 3, 2015 4:14 PM UTC  Sunburst in sky Sunburst in sky Getty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Jun 3, 2015 4:14 PM UTC The rate of skin cancer has doubled over the last 30 years, [according to new federal data](http://time.com/3906871/skin-cancer-rates/). Melanoma, specifically—which is the deadliest kind of skin cancer—is on the rise, and according to the latest research, the yearly cost of treating it is estimated to triple to a total of $1.6 billion in the year 2030. One way to prevent skin cancer is to cover up, and sunscreen is typically a go-to to protect skin in the summer heat. However, recent data has suggested that while sunscreens add protection, they aren’t necessarily up to snuff and often brands make coverage claims they can’t really deliver. There’s also the fact that many Americans still don’t wear it daily (and many still use indoor tanning beds). ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME A [recent report from the Environmental Working Group](http://time.com/3883293/sunscreen-spf/) showed that many sunscreens offer poor coverage or have ingredients that the organization views as worrisome. Some brands market their SPF 70 or SPF 100+ even though they don’t really have much more protection than SPF 50. New, better sunscreen ingredients could help. Recently, [legislation was passed](http://time.com/3611787/better-sunscreen-law/) to make the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to more quickly respond to pending applications for new ingredients to add to sunscreens. Many of these ingredients have already been available in sunscreens abroad for years. The law is supposed to make the agency act more promptly, and hopefully result in sunscreens with better protection for Americans. The [FDA also said](http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm258416.htm) years ago that it would crack down on sunscreen regulation, by putting a cap on SPF at a max of SPF 50, establish standards for testing the effectiveness, and enforce better labeling. So what’s the best way to stay protected? Keep wearing sunscreen (data suggests [Americans could do a better job](http://time.com/3883293/sunscreen-spf/)), but abide by other measures too. Health experts recommend covering exposed skin with clothing, avoiding time in the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, and remembering to reapply sunscreen—a teaspoon per body part—at least every two hours. _Read next:_ [_You Asked: Is Sunscreen Safe — and Do I Really Need It Daily?_](http://time.com/3056125/you-asked-is-sunscreen-safe-and-do-i-really-need-it-daily/?iid=time%5Freadnext) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/autoplay/?xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ## Transcript Grab an umbrella and fire up those app stores. Our friends at Techlicious. com have cobbled together a list of the best weather apps for iPhone and Android. If you're looking for the top tornado app, check out iMap Weather Radio. The app costs $ 5 and sends you alerts for an area that you draw around the map or you can set it to send you alerts. For your exact GPS location. For hurricane tracking, the aptly named Hurricane Tracker app costs $ 2. 99, delivers official bulletins and maps from the National Hurricane Center in real time, along with animated satellite maps. If you're an allergy sufferer, Zyrtec AllergyCast gives you hourly and weekly pollen forecasts. The free app also lets you log your symptoms to see how the pollen is affecting you. For weather coverage in more rural areas check out Weather Underground. The well designed app delivers data from over 40, 000 professional and hobbyist weather stations to provide highly localized data for out of the way places. Top pick for the best overall weather app is AccuWeather. Its minutecast feature predicts when precipitation will start in your exact GPS location, all the way down to. A minute. The app can also use GPS to send you severe weather alerts if a storms heading towards your location. To get more info about each of these apps as well as links to where you can download them, head over techlicous. com and search for best weather apps. 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