“Americans are being sunburned by bureaucracy,” says the Cato Institute. “Europeans use modern UVA filters like bemotrizinol, but we can’t because the FDA’s outdated approval process delays access for decades.”
Dr. Jeffrey Singer, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, explains:
government regulations limit consumers’ choices to decades-old formulations that offer less comprehensive protection than the options available to people in other countries.
The Food and Drug Administration last approved a sunscreen active ingredient in 1999. Many dermatologists recommend sunscreens available in Australia, the European Union, South Korea, Japan, and other countries, but the FDA restricts these options for American consumers. These sunscreens offer significantly better protection against ultraviolet rays (UV‑A and UV‑B) than their US counterparts. Many dermatologists inform their patients about the superior protection provided by these international products. Several of these products are also less likely to cause allergic reactions. Many Americans stock up on sunscreens from Australia, Europe, or South Korea when traveling abroad. However, not every American can afford to travel the world.
Australian, Asian, and European sunscreens generally contain newer UVA filters (like bemotrizinol) that offer stronger and broader UVA protection. In contrast, US sunscreens often focus on UVB protection (which prevents sunburn) but usually provide less effective UVA coverage, which is responsible for deeper skin damage and aging.
The FDA approval process causes the US to lag behind Europe and other developed countries in sunscreen availability…the FDA regulates sunscreens as over-the-counter drugs, requiring them to undergo lengthy clinical safety and efficacy trials. Most other countries regulate sunscreens as cosmetic products…The EU approved bemotrizinol, an effective UVA and UVB filter, as a sunscreen ingredient in 2000, and Australia followed suit in 2004…. the FDA has been evaluating data provided by the Swiss chemical manufacturer of bemotrizinol, DSM-Firmenich…DSM-Firmenich has spent more than 20 years and 18 million dollars seeking FDA approval thus far.
The FDA keeps the most effective sunscreens off the U.S. market. The FDA blocks new innovations that will protect your skin. Insider reports that the “U.S. has awful sunscreen compared to Asia and Europe. Strict, decades-old FDA rules are to blame: European and Asian sunscreens boast stronger and smoother formulas than sunscreens found in the US. That’s because the FDA is slower to approve new UV filters compared to other countries.”
