DONE
Does American sunscreen get the job done? Yes. Anything at or above SPF 30 with broad spectrum protection is going to help protect you from the sun (when reapplied generously every 2 hours). But, if this were the Olympics, let’s just say America wouldn’t win a medal.
American sunscreens are critiqued (rightfully so) for a few reasons: the price, the texture, the elegance of a formula, how irritating it is to the eyes and, most importantly, the fact that international sunscreens have more advanced options when it comes to UVA (protection).
As a reminder, here’s a list of all the harmful rays the sun emits, and what sunscreens are capable of protecting our skin from:
| Type of UV radiation | Definition | |
|---|---|---|
| UVB | 280–320 | Short-wave ultraviolet light that causes sunburn, plays a major role in skin cancer, and contributes to photoaging. |
| UVA II | 320–340 | The shorter half of the UVA spectrum. Penetrates skin more deeply than UVB and contributes to DNA damage and aging. |
| UVA I | 340–400 | The longer part of UVA. Penetrates deeper into the dermis, plays a large role in photoaging and pigmentation. |
| HEV | 400–500 | High-Energy Visible light (also called 'blue light'). Comes from the sun and a very minimal amount comes from screens (not enough to cause damage). May contribute to pigmentation and oxidative stress. |
Because American sunscreens don’t have the same options as the rest of the world regarding the use of protective actives, our formulas are less elegant and we’re left with sunscreen that can be a chore, not a delight, to apply. When it comes to skincare, if you hate using it, you’re less likely to use it–a bit of a fatal flaw when it comes to a drug that only works with reapplication (sunscreen is classified as a drug in the U.S.).
So, why is the U.S. lagging behind?
In the U.S., sunscreens are regulated as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs by the FDA. This means that any new UV filter must undergo a rigorous and lengthy approval process. As a result, no new sunscreen filters have been approved in the U.S. since 1999.
Contrast this with Europe and Asia, where sunscreens are regulated as cosmetics, allowing for faster innovation and approval of new, more effective filters. There are exceptions; most notably Australia. Australia, the skin cancer capital of the world, has a bit more of an incentive to have best-in-class sunscreen, but the real reason Australia has all the latest cutting edge filters is the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA), accepts more testing methods than the United States for safety. This allows for a less lengthy safety testing period. A reminder, in the US, it’s been since 1999 that a new sunscreen filter has been approved!
Because there is less red tape and more efficiency, these countries are working on iPhones while the US isn’t even on a Blackberry. They are more technologically advanced. International sunscreens often contain advanced UV filters like Tinosorb S, Tinosorb M, and Uvinul A Plus, which offer better UVA and UVB protection with improved photostability. These filters are not available in U.S. formulations due to the aforementioned regulatory hurdles. Our cofounder, Charlotte Palermino, did an awareness video on this topic with representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez two years ago!
Korean and European sunscreens are renowned for their lightweight, non-greasy textures that blend seamlessly into the skin without leaving a white cast. It’s well known in skincare product development and marketing that texture matters greatly, but for sunscreen? Critical for use. If you love using something, you’re more likely to reapply. If it feels like punishment, you may just risk the UV exposure.