Most sunscreens in the U.S. offer little, if any, UVA protection, the kind of protection needed to safeguard users from contracting skin cancer. Americans need to demand that the FDA changes that by reforming sunscreen regulations.
The summer vacation season in the U.S. begins with Memorial Day weekend, which ended last week. For the next several months, many vacationers will head to beaches and pools. Many will lie in the sun, play sports, and engage in other activities. Some vacationers will travel to many outdoor locales to hike, bike, kayak, snorkel, raft, etc. Many children will be exposed to the sun for hours and hours.
During time on the beach and enjoying other outside activities this summer, too many Americans’ skin will absorb dangerous UVA (Ultraviolet A) radiation from the sun. While they may believe they’re safe because they’re wearing high-SPF (sun protection factor) sunscreen, many, if not most, will be wrong. High SPF sunscreen products sold in the U.S. protect wearers from UVB (Ultraviolet B) radiation, the kind that causes sunburn. Many aren’t effective against UVA radiation, the kind that causes skin cancer.
While sunscreens in the U.S. have improved recently, most still “fail to deliver adequate UVA protection.”
In May, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its 20th Annual Guide to Sunscreens. They evaluated almost 2,800 SPF products, and the news from EWG is decidedly mixed. It highlights the UVA problem. David Andrews, Ph.D., chief science officer at EWG said,
“The market has improved. The number of harmful ingredients like oxybenzone has nosedived, the percentage of products that are mineral sunscreens has nearly tripled and consumers are more informed than ever.”
“But the fundamental problem remains unsolved. Most American sunscreens fail to deliver adequate UVA protection, critical for reducing skin cancer risk, including melanoma.”
The facts about skin cancer are serious and undeniable. Too many Americans will die of melanoma, about one person per hour.
- If you don’t think that being in the sun is a serious cancer problem, particularly on the beach where most people aren’t wearing much protective clothing, think again. Here are some facts from the Skin Cancer Foundation.
- More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined.
- While it takes a while for many to develop skin cancer, one in five Americans (20 percent) will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
- An estimated 234,680 cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2026.
- During the past decade (2016–2026), the number of new invasive melanoma cases diagnosed annually increased by 46.6 percent.
- In the U.S., approximately one person per hour will die from melanoma.
- A study quoted by the Skin Cancer Foundation found that about 86 percent of melanomas is attributed to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
- On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if they’ve had more than five sunburns in their lifetime.
These facts are undeniable. Millions of cases of skin cancer occur in the U.S. every year. Most of these cases result from UVA radiation exposure to the sun over time.
The main problem of sunscreens in the U.S. is twofold. The U.S. SPF standard is misleading, and the FDA regulations for sunscreens need significant reform.
Problems posed by UV radiation from the sun for Americans are alarming. Let’s look at why sunscreens aren’t helping more to protect Americans from skin cancer.
First, the U.S. SPF standard is misleading. SPF only indicates a sunscreen’s ability to block UVB radiation, the kind that causes sunburn. In Europe and Asia, for example, many nations require a specific rating for UVA radiation, the kind that causes skin cancer. It’s not that protection from UVB radiation isn’t important. It is. The problem is that protection from UVA radiation is critical. The American SPF standard doesn’t inform the public if they’re protected from UVA radiation at all, or by how much.
In Europe, manufacturers typically voluntarily comply with a European Commission recommendation that all sunscreens offer UVA protection at least one-third as strong as the SPF. So, generally in Europe, if a product advertises SPF 90, its UVA protection will be at least 30.
There has been some progress in the U.S., but according to EWG, just 550 of the 2784 SPF products tested meet its criteria for both ingredient safety and balanced UV protection. That’s less than 20 percent of the products tested.
In the U.S., it’s more than an SPF standards problem. It’s an FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) problem, too. Currently, only two ingredients that offer strong protection against UVA radiation are approved by the FDA: zinc oxide and avobenzone, and they’re problematic. Zinc oxide is thick and greasy, and it looks awful when applied. Avobenzone works, but it breaks down so rapidly in sunlight that it must be reapplied about every 30 minutes, or it provides little to no protection.
It’s time for the FDA to formally agree that the ingredients used in European sunscreens to mitigate UVA radiation for more than two decades are safe and may be used in the U.S.
Since 2003, more than two decades ago, sunscreen manufacturers have applied for the FDA’s permission to use eight sun-filtering chemicals developed by European companies. None have been approved to date.
Dr. Andrews has said, “It looks like a number of these newer chemicals have a better safety profile in addition to better UVA protection. We have asked the FDA to consider allowing market access.” He was speaking of ingredients currently used in European manufactured and approved sunscreens. The FDA, in defending its non-approvals, says it was right to call for additional testing of the ingredients in products. Of course, many of the ingredients have been approved and successfully used in Europe for years.
Many Americans have been illegally importing non-FDA-approved sunscreens from Europe to protect themselves from UVA and, therefore, skin cancer. Unfortunately, this importation hasn’t been a good solution, as often the imported products are counterfeit and unable to provide users with any protection from UV radiation.
There’s some optimism at this point. In late 2025, the FDA finally proposed classifying bemotrizinol as safe and effective for use in sunscreens in the U.S. It has been used safely and effectively in Europe and Asia for the last 27 years. Let’s not forget, however, that the FDA has proposed major reforms to sunscreen regulation, most recently in 2019 and 2021. They’ve not implemented any of their proposed reforms so far.
When Americans head to outdoor activities this summer they need to use the best sunscreens available with some UVA protection and use comfortable UV protective clothing whenever possible.
As Americans head out on beach vacations, play sports, hike, raft, and take part in other outdoor activities, I recommend using the most effective options available in the U.S. that offer at least some protection against skin cancer caused by UVA radiation. Use products highly rated by dermatologists and organizations such as EWG. Personally, my dermatologist examines me at least annually, and I use the sunscreens she recommends.
In addition to sunscreen, Americans can protect themselves by using UV-protective clothing. Whenever I’m hiking, kayaking, or leading a photo walk, I wear a wide-brimmed UV-protective hat (ball caps offer no ear and side-of-face protection), sunglasses with UV protection, and lightweight UV-protective long-sleeved shirts and long pants, whenever possible. On the beach, use an umbrella.
Contact your Senators and Representative to demand that they require the Trump Administration FDA reform sunscreen regulations.
Contact your Senators and Representative and demand that they take action. They should require that the Trump Administration’s FDA finally reform sunscreen regulations to protect Americans from skin cancer, something they should have done years ago.
UVA radiation from the sun causes cancer. Do whatever is necessary to protect yourself from it.
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After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
