The FDA warns of so-called sunscreen pills that supposedly provides protection from the sun when the claims are, in fact, unproven and misleading. What exactly are sunscreen pills?

Commissioner's Warning

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, issued a statement reiterating the importance of safe sun protection and warning the public of certain products that claim to provide sun protection properties. In the statement, Commissioner Gottlieb emphasizes the potentially harmful effects of exposure to UV rays and how the agency has been working hard to spread significant information on how to protect the self from such exposures.

This is especially significant particularly because one in five Americans are actually at risk of developing skin cancer at some point in their lives. That said, he warns of certain products in the market that do not deliver their claims of sun protection, thereby giving buyers a false sense of security and placing them at risk of harmful exposure. What's more, such products may be considered drugs that are not approved by the FDA.

What Exactly Are 'Sunscreen Pills'?

Simply put, sunscreen pills are products sold as dietary supplements with claims of being able to provide protection from sun exposure, reduce the effects of skin aging as a result of sun exposure, or protect the skin from the risks of getting skin cancer. Specifically, products such as Sunsafe Rx, Advanced Skin Brightening Formula, Sunergetic, and Solaricare were called out as products with such misleading claims.

Evidently, the FDA monitored the websites and bought the products in order to analyze the labels and found some unproven and rather misleading statements. For instance, the GliSODin Skin Nutrients website, where Advanced Skin Brightening Formula can be bought, states that the product contains ingredients that may reduce oxidative stress, a harmful effect of UV light, and that it can enhance photoprotection.

As such, the agency sent warning letters to the companies selling the products, stating their violations and urging them to review their websites and product labeling so that they are not misleading to customers. Further, as the products are supposedly intended for the mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, it is considered a "new drug" by the FDA and therefore require approval from the agency before it can even be sold in the market.

No Pill Replacement For Sunscreen

Commissioner Gottlieb urges the public to be wary of such products and instead to protect the skin from UV rays with FDA approved lotions, sticks, creams, and sprays with ample sun protection factor (SPF).

"There's no pill or capsule that can replace your sunscreen," states Commissioner Gottlieb.