FDA releases new sunscreen guidelines
The federal government is cracking down on claims manufacturers of sunscreens can make about its products.
But at least one consumer group says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not going far enough.
Under new guidelines, sunscreens labeled SPF 15 or higher are the only ones that may say that they reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. Sunscreens with a lower SPF will be required to carry a warning saying it has not been proven to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
The FDA is also telling consumers sunscreen has to be regularly applied to work and that they still must limit their exposure to the sun. The agency is barring the use of terms such as waterproof, sweatproof and sunblock.
Sunscreens will also not be allowed to go above SPF 50 under the new guidelines because the FDA said there is no evidence that SPF values that are higher provide anymore protection from the sun.
Consumer advocacy organization the Environmental Working Group criticized the new guidelines saying they didn’t go far enough. They said many products will be allowed to call themselves a “broad spectrum” sunscreen even though some may not provide enough protection, the group said in a statement.
The group also said ingredients such as oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate and other ingredients should be banned from sunscreens because they can be toxic.
The group recently came out with its own sunscreen guide.
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