Although it seems as if summer is far away for many people across the country, it will warm up sooner than we think in the northern hemisphere. This winter has been harsh, and although most of our skin is covered during this time, it’s important to still protect it from the sun’s UV rays. To further protect our skin, a recent law has been passed to better our sunscreen options thanks to the Sunscreen Innovation Act.
The Sunscreen Innovation Act was signed by President Obama on November 29th last year. It is meant to end the procrastination of the backlog of sunscreen ingredients that have been pending with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for quite some time. Some ingredients have been pending with the FDA for over a decade.
The last over-the-counter ingredient for sunscreens approved was in the 1990s. Since then, eight new and improved ingredients have been pending for approval, and several of the pending ingredients will improve better protection against UVA rays.
The reason why this new law is important to American people is because skin cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the United States. Nearly 2 million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Many members of Congress and the House Appropriation Committee have chastised the FDA for taking so long with reviewing sunscreen ingredients that are highly effective. Some of the ingredients have been used in European and Asian sunscreens for years, and proven to be more effective than American sunscreens.
The new sunscreen law will force the FDA to make more timely decisions when it comes to improving sunscreen ingredients, and must now be reviewed in a specific time frame. Hopefully by the time summer returns and Americans spend more time outdoors, there will be more up-to-date and protective sunscreens in stores across the nation.
