Way Downstream …(Feb. 28-March 6, 2019)
There’s a ray of good news from Washington, D.C., and it’s about time with so many new cases of skin cancer: The Food and Drug Administration last week released the outline of new rules governing over-the-counter sunscreen.
The rules would force changes in labeling requirements on sunscreens, such as the SPF (sun protection factor). But the big deal zeroes in on what ingredients are both safe and do the job.
As it stands, the FDA concludes that just two of 16 active ingredients in sunscreen — zinc oxide and titanium dioxide — would be regarded as safe and effective. Two others, PABA and trolamine salicylate, are not. The FDA wants more information from the industry on the other 12.
The Environmental Working Group is the leader in advising consumers how to avoid sunburn with its authoritative guide: www.ewg.org/sun screen. So we listened to EWG scientist David Andrews’ evaluation: “If the FDA’s proposed changes are adopted, American consumers should be able to navigate the sunscreen aisle and choose better and more effective products.”