How harmful are the ingredients in sunscreen?

The US Food and Drug Administration studies what we ingest through the skin

There is no question that sun protection is essential and will become more and more important in the future. However, with many products it is apparently not at all clear whether the active ingredients that get into our bloodstream through the skin with sunscreen and the like have undesirable side effects. The US Food and Drug Administration has therefore proposed a regulation that calls on manufacturers to take a closer look at the rate of adsorption of their ingredients and to disclose how much of which substance arrives in our body. This regulation should come into force in November.

The investigation

There are at least 16 minerals and chemicals in the United States that are used as active ingredients in sun protection products. For a large part of these active substances, there is insufficient information about whether they are safe for use in the body and how they affect our blood system. According to the FDA, all ingredients with 0.5 nanograms per milliliter or higher in the blood should be tested to determine whether they increase the likelihood of developing cancer, cause birth defects or have other effects.

In a pilot study, the FDA asked 24 test subjects to use sunscreen products four times a day for four days. Then 30 blood samples were taken from each test subject over a period of seven days and the concentration of the active minerals and chemicals measured. After just one day, the concentration of the ingredients in the blood exceeded the recommendation of the FDA many times over.

What does that mean?

The FDA does not recommend foregoing sunscreen. That is clearly emphasized. But it makes a strong point to look carefully at what substances are used and how they affect the human body. The proposed FDA regulation is expected to be finalized and come into effect in November. This could lead to some suppliers of sun protection products having to withdraw their creams, sprays and lotions from the market. The trade association has already requested a postponement of the entry into force of the regulation for eight ingredients because the tests have not progressed far enough.

This reports on the FDA investigation "Wall Street Journal ”here.

The preliminary study can be read online here.