At least 50 million Americans will go to the beach this summer. A growing number of them are becoming concerned about the safety and effectiveness of the sunscreens they are using… And they have valid reasons to be worried!
Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country, and protecting against sun damage is crucial for reducing the risk. But how do we know that the SPF 5,000 we’re using is actually doing it’s job?
Sunscreens should offer broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are often associated with skin cancer and aging, while UVB exposure causes sunburns. Despite being labeled ‘broad spectrum,’ some American sunscreens have failed to meet the higher UVA-blocking standards of the European Union, as some studies have shown. Europe has more approved active sunscreen ingredients than the US.
That’s right. European sunscreen is higher-tech than American. But how is that possible? Old laws, of course!
A 1938 law restricts the FDA’s ability to approve such ingredients. The law requires sunscreens to be tested on animals and classified as drugs rather than cosmetics, as in most of the world.
Sunscreen manufacturers argue that the approval standards in the US are unfair. They stress that companies such as BASF Corp. and L’Oréal, which produce newer sunscreen chemicals, have already submitted safety data on these chemicals to the European Union authorities around 20 years ago.
Steven Goldberg, retired vice president of BASF, has pointed out that companies are cautious about the FDA process because of its cost and the possibility of requiring additional animal testing. This concern could potentially result in a consumer backlash in the European Union, where animal testing of cosmetics, including sunscreen, is prohibited.
The companies are urging Congress to modify the testing requirements before entering the US market.
Due to superior testing methods, sunscreens in Europe and parts of Asia currently provide better protection from UVA radiation than those in the US. Newer sunscreen ingredients available elsewhere, such as bemotrizinol, bisoctrizole, DHHB, and octyl triazine, are considered more efficient at absorbing UV rays and less likely to penetrate the skin or cause allergic reactions than US-approved ones.
According to Henry Lim, a dermatologist at Henry Ford Health in Detroit and former president of the American Academy of Dermatology, it is safe to continue using FDA-approved organic and mineral sunscreens based on the available data. However, new FDA research shows that some active sunscreen ingredients are absorbed into the bloodstream, sparking controversy over whether or not they are harmful.
American sunscreens are beginning to catch up, but the FDA has not yet approved newer sunscreen ingredients, except for bemotrizinol, which is currently being evaluated. The FDA has requested data for bemotrizinol from a manufacturer, but its status remains undisclosed. Data has yet to be submitted for the evaluation of other active sunscreen ingredients.
The FDA has not approved a new UV filter for sunscreen in over 20 years, but the US Food and Drug Administration has proposed changes to sunscreen regulations.
So, we wait and see. In the meantime, do what you know to do to keep yourself safe and protected from the sun’s harmful (UVA and UVB) rays while soaking up the life and mood-boosting rays we so desperately need these days.
Sources:
https://pressroom.cancer.org/releases?item=1321
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/shade-clothing-sunscreen/understand-sunscreen-labels
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36442641/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S019096221730035X
https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/changes-science-law-and-regulatory-authorities/part-ii-1938-food-drug-cosmetic-act#
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/08/01/sunscreen-chemicals-safety/
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Bemotrizinol
https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol-methoxyphenyl-triazine
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/cder-conversations/update-sunscreen-requirements-deemed-final-order-and-proposed-order