There’s been a lot of heat this summer about the quality of sunscreen in the United States compared with the rest of the world. Most notably, it’s Europe and Asia that are blazing the trail against the sun’s UV rays. But sunscreen ingredients legal in the European Union still don’t have approval by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States. So, why is that?
The short answer: Regulation.
In the United States, sunscreen is regulated as a drug, like any over-the-counter medicine you might buy at the grocery store or pharmacy. The Food and Drug Administration regulates sunscreen for safety and efficacy, making sure that it 1) doesn’t do more harm than good, and 2) does what it says it’s going to do.
This is in contrast to Europe, where sunscreen is considered a cosmetic, like lotion or makeup. It’s not as highly regulated as a drug would be. That means it has more flexibility in the ingredients it’s able to use, and those ingredients don’t have to undergo the same kind of testing.
Strict Regulations: For Better or Worse
All of this makes it sound as if sunscreen in the United States should technically be safer, right? According to the FDA, it is. But sunscreen ingredients are developing faster than the FDA can keep up with them.
Sunscreen ingredients come in two forms: There are chemical blocks, which absorb the sun’s ultraviolet rays before they can reach to the skin; then there are mineral blocks, which create a physical barrier the UV rays can’t get through. (If you’ve ever seen someone with chalky white sunblock on, that’s because it’s a sunscreen made with a mineral, such as zinc oxide.)
But whether we’re talking chemical filters or mineral filters, the FDA hasn’t approved a new UV filter for use in sunscreens in 20 years. As of summer 2024, the European Union has about twice the UV filters approved for use in sunscreen as the United States does. These European ingredients tend to have a less oily feel to them and a less chalky appearance, plus they provide longer lasting protection.
A primary reason the FDA hasn’t approved UV filters in so long goes back to a 1938 law that says sunscreens must be tested on animals, whereas the European Union bans animal testing for sunscreen.
For Example: Bemotrizinol
Take a look at an example of a common ingredient in European and Asian sunscreens—Bemotrizinol, an oil-soluble organic compound that has been deemed an effective UV absorber in countries abroad, blocking even more harmful rays than the ingredients approved for U.S. sunscreens.
The FDA has its reservations. Before it approves a new UV filter, it wants to ensure these ingredients would not enter the bloodstream through the skin, which could cause long-term toxicity and even disrupt the endocrine system, which regulates our hormones.
So, Where Do We Go From Here?
It looks as if summer 2024 was another season come and gone without the latest sunscreen ingredients available for use in the United States. Until the FDA can deem these ingredients safe and effective, continue to practice safe skin protection with what’s available on the U.S. market. Apply sunscreen liberally and regularly and keep out of the sun during the middle part of the day when the rays are the strongest.
One last note: Though it might be tempting to try to buy European or Asian sunscreens online, health experts strongly discourage this. Without regulations, you may be buying a counterfeit product, which could end up being unsafe, ineffective, and unhealthy.
