Dangerous and Don't Work, FDA Warns Don’t believe the hype. ( courtecy;- By Megan Friedman May 23, 2018

Sunscreen Pills Are Dangerous and Don't Work, FDA Warns

Don’t believe the hype.

By Megan Friedman

May 23, 2018

GETTY IMAGES

If you think you can skip applying sunscreen and take a pill instead, you’re out of luck. Government officials have issued a warning claiming so-called sunscreen pills are bogus.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday 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 don’t meet the agency’s standards.

“We’ve found products purporting to provide protection from the sun that aren’t delivering the advertised benefits,” the FDA said in a press release. “Instead, they’re misleading consumers, and putting people at risk.”

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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 “all violations associated with their products” and make sure their websites and product labels follow the law.

“Consumers should be watchful for unscrupulous companies making unproven claims. When the FDA sees companies taking advantage of people’s desire to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun — we’ll step in,” the agency’s statement said. “There’s no pill or capsule that can replace your sunscreen.”

Napa Valley Bioscience, which makes Sunsafe Rx, defended its product in a statement to Time, noting it can help provide supplemental protection for sensitive skin. “Sunsafe Rx is made with ingredients that published clinical studies show protect skin from damage,” the statement said. “However, to be abundantly clear: the sun is dangerous, and UV rays damage your skin. We don’t market Sunsafe Rx as a sunscreen, and we certainly don’t tell consumers that they don’t need any other protection from the sun or that they don’t also need to use a topical sunscreen. Everyone should exercise caution when exposed to the sun.”

Prevention.com reached out to the makers of Advanced Skin Brightening Formula, Solaricare, and Sunergetic, but did not receive a response.