SPF evaluation and ingredients which mask skin reddening, Thanks to EWG via Cosmetics & Toiletries

Non-governmental activist organization The Environmental Working Group (EWG) made headlines again this week when it called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate sunscreens containing anti-inflammatories, antioxidants and other ingredients. It alleged these ingredients “mask” the symptoms of skin reddening and sunburn, exposing consumers to unnecessary risk and inflating SPF values.

The group maintains that sunscreens are a valuable tool for the public to protect itself. However, in a report fromThe Hill, the EWG remarked the current FDA rules need to be updated to keep up with new formulas and marketing trends. It stated that testing methods “do not address the increasing use of anti-inflammatories, antioxidants and other ingredients that may boost SPF readings and mask reddening, the body’s early warning system that it is experiencing sun damage.”

The WWD wrote that an FDA spokesperson claimed, “When performed according to current regulatory requirements, the FDA’s established SPF test method demonstrates a sunscreen’s effectiveness in helping prevent sunburn.”