Sunscreen is part of the daily routine for many Floridians, but there are new questions about their long-term effects.
The USDA is out with a study showing that many popular sunscreen products release chemicals into the body at levels that are not considered healthy.
The FDA said six chemicals found in sunscreen products were found in the bloodstream at levels ranging from 3.3 to 258.1 per millilitre, depending on the product and how it was applied.
The FDA raises the red flag when those ingredients are found at a level of 0.5 nano-grams per millilitre.
Earlier this year, the agency analyzed four off-the-shelf sunscreen products and found that they “resulted in plasma concentrations that exceeded the threshold established by the FDA for potentially waiving some nonclinical toxicology studies for sunscreens.”
The FDA says it is not recommending that consumers spending time in the sun avoid using sunscreen. After all, these products shield the skin from the sun’s harmful rays that can cause skin cancer.
Using a mineral-based sunscreen instead of a chemical-based product may be safer, the agency says. Its now-abandoned sunscreen rule recognized the minerals zinc oxide and titanium oxide as safe and effective.
The FDA was considering new rules for sunscreen manufacturers, but the agency has been sidetracked by the coronavirus.
Image courtesy Getty