Is your sunscreen safe?
In May, the FDA(Food and Drug Administration) announced it would be re-evaluating the safety of every single chemical sunscreen agent. Makes you a little nervous, right? Us, too. And since we’re not going to find out the results of this re-evaluation until November, we all have a long, confusing, sun-filled spring ahead. So we did our best to get as many answers as possible to help you make the right decision right now.
So why the closer look at sunscreen ingredients in the first place? The FDA told us it’s because a growing body of data suggests that more sunscreen is absorbed through the skin and into the circulatory system than we thought. That raises previously unevaluated safety concerns about sunscreens, including the potential for effects on reproduction. The FDA has found that there’s a lack of data – not negative data, but a lack of it – on how chronic exposure to sunscreen filters will affect our bodies, so it’s requested additional data from beauty brands to better understand which sunscreens are absorbed and the impact of that absorption. Until we get that info, the only two sunscreen filters the FDA will categorise as safe and effective are now titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which are also the only two ‘mineral’ filters we have. “Research has found that they don’t significantly penetrate skin,” says cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski. The FDA has already proposed that two ingredients be classified as unsafe for use in sunscreens: para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and trolamine salicylate. But don’t worry, those ingredients haven’t been used in sunscreens for at least 20 years.
This leaves 12 chemical filters (avobenzone, oxybenzone and others) in a kind of no man’s land. They had the green light for many years, and now? Well, they haven’t been rejected, but the FDA is calling for sunscreen makers to provide clinical safety data on them soon (before the FDA issues its proposal in November), though the FDA will consider requests to defer rule-making. In other words, the onus is on sunscreen makers to prove the filters in their products are safe. In response, the Personal Care Products Council (a beauty industry trade association) has released a statement saying, “Our industry has consistently offered viable, state-of-the-art toxicological safety methods. We’re proud of the sunscreens our industry provides to protect families from the harmful effects of the sun. We look forward to working with the FDA to best address their questions.”
Still, you may wonder whether there’s any proof that chemical ingredients aren’t safe – because, seriously, why is this coming up now? Perhaps it’s due to the kind of procrastination we can all relate to. You know, when the former president of the US asks you to do something, and he gives you a deadline, and you’re like, “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” because it’s five years away? Seems like that’s kind of what happened here. In November 2014, Barack Obama signed the Sunscreen Innovation Act, which included a provision stating that the FDA would need an alternative process for reviewing the safety (and effectiveness) of sunscreens. This act came with a deadline: November 2019. All changes to the way the FDA approves sunscreen will be made law by that date.
While these ingredients are under review, dermatologists say we should keep wearing our favourite sunscreens as usual. “You can switch to only zinc and titanium,” says dermatologist Dr Steven Wang, “but for those with darker skin tones, physical sunscreens might leave a whitish cast.” Dermo Dr Jeanine Downie agrees that it’s best to prioritise wearing sunscreen over analysing ingredient lists: “I’d rather have everybody wear something. It’s going to keep them from getting their nose chopped up with a basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer).”
One caveat, however, is that dermatologists recommend children and pregnant women choose physical, not chemical, filters regardless of any changes in the FDA’s sunscreen policy. “Children have a weaker skin barrier and absorb a whole lot more, so we recommend mineral sunscreens,” says dermatologist Dr Rachel Nazarian. “We don’t believe chemical products are harmful, but we know physical products aren’t, so we err on the side of overwhelming safety assurance.” Reports that oxybenzone might not be safe for coral reefs may sway your sunscreen
buying decisions – the ingredient has been banned in Hawaii for that reason. But the jury is still out on the validity of these reports. (And just to be clear, they don’t examine human health – the FDA’s only concern.)
The FDA isn’t just looking at what’s in your sunscreen; it’s also looking at how you apply it. There have been concerns about spray sunscreens since 2011 because it’s tough to tell if you’re getting adequate coverage and whether or not you’re inhaling it. Fair enough. But now that sprays have become a staple in many households, the FDA has proposed to allow them, with one condition: their particles must be large enough that you can’t breathe them into the deep lungs. According to a study in the Journal of Aerosol
“We just want the industry to step forward and show their products are safe”
Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery, particles bigger than six micrometers will only be deposited in the upper lungs, so that number is probably a good guide, as most of the sprays that are currently available have particles much larger than that. The FDA is also taking a closer look at powders (for the same inhalation-risk concerns), and it’s proposed that sunscreen-containing wipes and body washes will have to seek FDA approval as entirely new drugs, since these never had to get specific FDA clearance before.
The good news is that more answers are coming soon. That November 2019 deadline is looming. After that, the FDA will allow sunscreen makers an implementation period (about one year) to switch gears and put any changes into effect. “Until then, the Academy of Dermatology isn’t changing their stance on any sunscreen ingredients,” says Dr Nazarian. “As always, we tell people, look for a product that’s broad-spectrum, SPF30 – higher, if possible – and water resistant. We aren’t saying, ‘Don’t use ingredients under review.’ We just want the sunscreen industry to step forward and show people their products are safe.”