Sunscreen pills are dangerous, don't work, FDA warns
Donāt believe the hype, government agency says
Donāt believe the hype, government agency says
Donāt believe the hype, government agency says
If you think you can skip applying sunscreen and take a pill instead, youāre out of luck. Government officials have issued a warning claiming so-called sunscreen pills are bogus.
The Food and Drug Administration it sent warning letters to companies that are claiming their pills and capsules protect people from the harmful effects of sun exposure, even though the medications donāt meet the agencyās standards.
āWeāve found products purporting to provide protection from the sun that arenāt delivering the advertised benefits,ā the FDA said in a press release. āInstead, theyāre misleading consumers, and putting people at risk.ā
They specifically called out four products: Advanced Skin Brightening Formula, Sunsafe Rx, Solaricare and Sunergetic. The FDA announced they instructed the companies behind these products to correct āall violations associated with their productsā and make sure their websites and product labels follow the law.
āConsumers should be watchful for unscrupulous companies making unproven claims. When the FDA sees companies taking advantage of peopleās desire to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun ā weāll step in,ā the agencyās statement said. āThereās no pill or capsule that can replace your sunscreen.ā
Napa Valley Bioscience, which makes Sunsafe Rx, defended its product in a statement to , noting it can help provide supplemental protection for sensitive skin:
āSunsafe Rx is made with ingredients that published clinical studies show protect skin from damage,ā the statement said. āHowever, to be abundantly clear: the sun is dangerous, and UV rays damage your skin. We donāt market Sunsafe Rx as a sunscreen, and we certainly donāt tell consumers that they donāt need any other protection from the sun or that they donāt also need to use a topical sunscreen. Everyone should exercise caution when exposed to the sun.ā
Prevention.com contacted the makers of Advanced Skin Brightening Formula, Solaricare and Sunergetic, but did not receive a response.