Do Sunscreen Pills Really Work?

Sun protection is widely discussed now and with so many ingredient formulations there is no reason you shouldn’t be protecting your skin from sun damage.

The FDA now requires that companies are very clear on their SPF labels about being a broad spectrum product and not all sunscreens are as effective as they appear. In addition to topical creams and sprays, there have been new innovations of pills and supplements that claim sun protection. But do sunscreen pills really work? If you have ever heard the old saying, “If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.”  Well that saying seems to fit when talking about sunscreen pills.

With unproven claims on the pills, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stepped in  and issued a warning stating there is no pill that can replace topical sunscreen.

The FDA is taking sun protection very seriously and issued letters to companies that are illegally marketing these types of products. These products are creating a false sense of security and are putting people’s health at risk; including risks of sunburn, skin cancer, and early aging.

According to Sunsafe RX  “ Sunsafe Rx is a nutritional supplement with ingredients shown to protect your skin and eyes from the sun. One capsule per day helps provide natural, healthy, anti-aging protection from UV rays.”

The FDA’s warnings to consumers will also introduce new regulations to encourage more development and rigorous testing of ingredients prior to use.  Steer clear of the imposters and look for these things instead.

  1. Natural Ingedients

Look for these ingredients when shopping for a sunscreen.  Zinc  and Titanium Dioxide. Both offer broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays, and they are safe.

  1. Water Resistant When Appropriate

If you are going to be active, sweating or in water, the standard SPF wont quite work.  Water resistant SPF 30 of higher broad spectrum is perfect so you can still enjoy water activities.

We love Skin Ceutical’s Physical Fusion SPF 50 for the face providing 40 minutes of water resistant protection and Elta MD UV Aero Broad- Spectrum SPF 45 for the body providing 80 minutes of water resistant protection!

  1. Reapply, reapply, reapply

You must reapply to stay protected! Make sure the SPF level is 30 or higher and reapply every 2 hours

  1. Stay away from harmful chemicals

New studies show that common SPF ingredients like   oxybenzone and octinoxate have been shown to damage and kill coral reefs.

To learn more about our protective antioxidants and sunscreens and we offer at Utah Facial Plastics call 801-776-2220 or visit us HERE.

 

Written by Sydnee Zisumbo

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