WASHINGTON — Help is on the way to consumers confused by the jumble of sun protection numbers, symbols and other claims on sunscreens.

Starting next summer, consumers can start looking for SPF 15 bottles with the label “broad spectrum” and feel confident they’re being protected from an increased risk of cancer.

Currently, standards of protection apply only to one part of the sun’s spectrum, ultraviolet B rays, which cause sunburn. Under new rules published in June, they will also have to protect against the more penetrating ultraviolet A rays associated with skin cancer.

The guidelines, which spent more than 30 years in bureaucratic limbo, are designed to enhance the effectiveness of sunscreens and make them easier to use.

The key takeaway for consumers: Look for a sun protection factor, or SPF, of 15 and above that also says “broad spectrum.” That’s the new buzzword from the Food and Drug Administration to describe a product that does an acceptable job blocking both types of damaging rays.

Starting next summer, sunscreens with less than an SPF of 15 or that aren’t “broad spectrum” will have to carry a warning label: “This product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early skin aging.”

That will help people like Paul Woodburn, 55, who says he mainly buys brands he trusts and judges sun screen by one factor.

“The SPF number is what counts for me,” the Indianapolis resident said as he sat next to a public pool. “Beyond the SPF, I don’t think anybody really watches.” Woodburn said he wasn’t familiar with the difference between UVA and UVB rays or the broad spectrum label.