Americans Are Buying More European Sunscreens. Are They Better Than Domestic Ones?
Boston University dermatologist on the difference in products and what to look for when purchasing
European sunscreens offer more protection against UVA rays associated with skin cancer and skin aging than US brands. Photo by
Robert Michael/AP Photo
Americans Are Buying More European Sunscreens. Are They Better Than Domestic Ones?
Boston University dermatologist on the difference in products and what to look for when purchasing
In a time of political divisiveness, there is a cause uniting politicians as disparate as Utah’s conservative Republican Senator Mike Lee and New York’s democratic socialist US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (CAS’11): they want the federal government to approve better sunscreen ingredients, faster.
Many Americans are getting their sunscreens from abroad, particularly from the European Union (EU), because they contain ingredients offering superior protection against UVA rays (often linked with skin cancer and aging, as opposed to UVB rays, linked with sunburn). It’s been 20-plus years since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new filter ingredient for sunscreens.
Is our government excessively cautious? Or are other nations taking chances in not regulating sunscreen as we do? And what are the prospects for change? BU Today asked Michael Kwa, an assistant professor of dermatology at Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, to weigh in on the subject. He cowrote a 2022 paper about Europe’s additional sunscreen ingredients, concluding that if users follow American Academy of Dermatology recommendations for sun protection: “Rigorous US and EU guidelines ensure that UV filters provide adequate photoprotection.” And despite some FDA concerns about safety, Kwa wrote, “Human data are limited, but known human risks of sunscreen appear minimal.”
Q&A
with Michael Kwa
BU Today: Why has Europe approved more sunscreen ingredients than the United States—are we too cautious about safety or are they less attentive to it?
Kwa: The difference in the number of approved UV filters—the ingredient in sunscreens that blocks or scatters light and is responsible for the protection provided by sunscreens—is due to a difference in regulation. In Europe, UV filters are regulated as a cosmetic, while in the US, sunscreens are regulated as a drug. Thus, the differences in data requirements can make it simpler for a new UV filter to be approved in the European Union. Importantly, sunscreens have been used for over 50 years, and to date, there have been no definitive, well-documented detrimental effects on overall human health.
BU Today: In terms of protection, what are the key filters Europe uses and we don’t, and why do they work better than our sunscreens?
Kwa: Bemotrizinol, diethyl hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB), and phenylene bis-diphenyltriazine (PBD), to name a few. It is not necessarily that they work better, since UV filters approved in the US can cover both the UVA and UVB spectrum—i.e., the harmful rays of light that contribute to photoaging and skin cancer. However, the EU has higher UVA standards—requiring a high percentage of the entire UVA spectrum to be blocked—to be considered broad spectrum [protection].
The FDA has proposed changes to UVA requirements to achieve greater parity with EU sunscreen coverage. Additionally, by having more UV filters available, the EU has more options to create formulations that people may find cosmetically acceptable while still maintaining active broad spectrum protection.
BU Today: Would those proposed regulations by the FDA improve American sunscreen safety? And do you have any idea whether and when those might go into effect?
Kwa: The proposed changes by the FDA would standardize UVA coverage. There is no specific, published timeline. For the time being, [US-made] sunscreens remain a safe and effective option for reducing sun damage and the risk for development of skin cancers.
BU Today: FDA research suggests that some US sunscreen ingredients are absorbed by the bloodstream. Is that a health concern and should it affect the discussion of whether we greenlight European-style sunscreens?
At this time, more research is needed to determine the significance of the absorbed levels that the FDA found. Reassuringly, sunscreens have been used for over 50 years, and to date, there have been no definitive, well-documented detrimental effects on overall human health. On the flip side, there is well-documented evidence that sunscreens help reduce the risk of skin cancer, so sunscreens are something I still recommend for patients. I am sure the FDA is taking into account their recent findings when determining guidance for sunscreen approvals going forward.
BU Today: If people must stick with American sunscreen, what should they be looking for vis-à-vis ingredients, sunblock strength, etc.?
The most important thing is that the sunscreen formulation people are buying provides appropriate coverage. This means that the sunscreen has a broad spectrum label—meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays—is SPF 30 or higher, and is water-resistant.
BU Today: Some people worry that sunscreen inhibits their getting enough Vitamin D from the sun. Could you address that concern?
Sunlight does play a role in vitamin D synthesis in the skin. However, vitamin D also comes from diet, and there have been studies that have shown that in real-world scenarios, using sunscreen has not affected people’s vitamin D concentrations. Because the amount of vitamin D a person receives from the sun is inconsistent, the Institute of Medicine–recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D was developed based on a person receiving minimal or no sun exposure [the Institute of Medicine, an advisory body to the US government, was renamed the National Academy of Medicine in 2015]. Thus, given the ability of sunscreens to protect against UV-induced skin cancers and the ability to get vitamin D from other sources than just sun, dermatologists still recommend use of sunscreen. If people are worried about vitamin D deficiency despite having a healthy, balanced diet, I always recommend they discuss [it] further with their doctor.
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