New FDA Study Shines Light on Sunscreen Absorption

Released yesterday/today in USA:

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-even...w-fda-study-shines-light-sunscreen-absorption

In a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 1 CDER scientists conducted a pilot study and learned that four active ingredients commonly found in sunscreen (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule) were absorbed through the skin into the body.

In February 2019, the agency announced a proposed rule to update regulations on sunscreens. In the proposed rule, the FDA requested more safety data from manufacturers for 12 sunscreen active ingredients, including some of the ingredients that the FDA tested in the JAMA study. The information obtained from this study, along with other safety/toxicology studies, would help determine if these ingredients meet the agency’s criteria for a product to be designated as “generally recognized as safe and effective” (GRASE) for its intended use.  Only two sunscreen ingredients – zinc oxide and titanium dioxide – currently meet GRASE criteria.   

Study Results

Results showed that all four tested ingredients were absorbed into the body at amounts exceeding the FDA threshold of 0.5 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), for potentially waiving some additional studies for sunscreens.