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If having the wind in your hair and Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild" cranked up on the radio is more appealing than baggage fees and stripping down to your socks for airport security, then an all-American road trip might be your best bet this summer.

But before you take off, you might want to know that hitting the highway might put at least half of you at risk—researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, discovered that 52 percent of melanoma cases and 53 percent of Merkel cell carcinoma cases occurred on the left side of the body, or your driving side (as reported by Time.com).

Rolling the windows up doesn't necessarily keep you protected, says Heidi A. Waldorf, MD, director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. "UVB rays are blocked by the glass, but UVA rays still get through unless your windows have a special UVA coating." Bottom line: Even if you're not a truck driver on the road 365 days a year, before you buckle up, slather on a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 during the spring and summer months (SPF 15 is adequate for the rest of the year), says Waldorf. Look for UVA protective ingredients like titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone or mexoryl.

[Next, how choices you make can affect the acne you get]

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Better late than never! After over 30 years of debate, the FDA has issued sunscreen regulations that will make it a whole lot easier to ensure your skin is getting the best protection possible. I talked to Steven Q. Wang, MD, director of dermatologic surgery and dermatology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, NJ, about how things will change in the sunscreen aisle when the new rules go into effect next summer. And what this means for beachgoers now.

The old rule: Sunscreens are stamped with an SPF value (anywhere from 4 to, in recent years, 100+). This number tells you only how effectively a sunscreen can protect you from UVB rays (the ones that turn your skin red and cause skin cancer). Many sunscreens are also labeled "broad spectrum"—meaning they protect against UVA rays (the ones that age the skin and cause cancer) as well. Manufacturers don't have to prove this claim, though, so the protection may not be adequate.

The new rule: Only sunscreens that pass a new test of UVA protection can be labeled "broad spectrum," a claim that will indicate that the product protects equally against UVB and UVA rays. Sunscreens with an SPF over 15 that earn the "broad spectrum" designation will be allowed to claim to reduce the risk of skin cancer and slow down the skin aging process when used properly (applied 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapplied every two hours). Sunscreens with an SPF under 15, or that do not give equal UVB and UVA protection, will have to carry a warning that they haven't been shown to slow skin aging or help prevent skin cancer. 

Next: Will "sweatproof" SPF disappear?

 

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More than half (56 percent) of women who use anti-aging facial skincare say they're not sure these products work, but they use them anyhow, reports the marketing research company NPD Group. This is a sad state of affairs, don't you think? Here's one way to be sure to get what you pay for.