United States: FDA introduces new guidelines for the sale of sunscreen under 'Sunscreen Innovation Act'

February 22, 2019:

On Thursday, The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) of the US has decided to introduce new guidelines for the sale of sunscreen.

So if you're in the US, looks like your sunscreen shopping is going to become easier & safer.

They include pointers like how to apply sunscreen, sunscreen for infants, how to store it and how to read the labels and what they mean.

The US has a Sunscreen Innovation Act under which it regulates the sale and safety of the non-prescribed sunscreens that are sold over the counter.

Two ingredients which the FDA proposal did not put on the list of safe and effective ingredients inlcude PABA and trolamine salicylate. If a product does come along with these as its ingredient, it would be considered a new drug and would have to undergo a new process of FDA approval before it can enter the market.

The sunscreen manufacturers have also been given a list of 12 ingredients for additional testing. The proposal concluded that there isn't sufficient data available for these ingredients to be concluded safe and appropriate for usage. Several of these ingredients have been in use in the US for at least 20 yrs, cited a media report.

The ingredients which can continue to be marketed without additional testing include zinc oxide, titanium oxide and sunscreens sold as sprays, oils, lotions, creams, gels, butters, pastes, ointment and sticks, according to the same report.

However, experts advise, that the fear of unsafe ingredients should not keep people from wearing sunscreen at all times.

The guidelines further mention pointers on labeling, sun protection factor (SPF) and broad-spectrum details. The maximum SPF level labeling would be increased to 60+ and any product with an SPF of 15 or greater is supposed to also offer broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays.

The labeling is also supposed to become more consumer-friendly with clearer information on both the back and front sides of the product.

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