FDA moves to require higher SPFs and clearer labels on sunscreen

Published February 21, 2019 8:30pm ET



The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it will move to make sunscreen manufacturers increase the SPF in formulas and display ingredients clearly on their labels, hoping to ensure sun safety.

“Broad spectrum sunscreens with SPF values of at least 15 are critical to the arsenal of tools for preventing skin cancer and protecting the skin from damage caused by the sun’s rays, yet some of the essential requirements for these preventive tools haven’t been updated in decades,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement on the new proposed regulation. “The proposal we’ve put forward would improve quality, safety, and efficacy of the sunscreens Americans use every day.”

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