Are you traveling in a different country and wondering what souvenir to bring back home to your family and friends? If yes, buy them sunscreen!
You might be thinking, “There’s sunscreen to purchase at every pharmacy in the United States…why would they want a bottle from a different country?” Sunscreen formulations in other countries are not the same as the ones that we have in the U.S. Countries such as South Korea, Japan, and France have more chemical filters that provide broader protection against ultraviolet rays from the sun compared to the United States. Most U.S. sunscreens protect against sunburn when applied correctly but are not as effective in preventing skin damage from UVA rays as sunscreens formulated in other countries.
The U.S. lags behind other countries in sunscreen filters because of the regulations that sunscreens have to go through for approval. In the U.S., sunscreen is considered a non-prescription drug. All new sunscreens have to go through the same lengthy review as other pharmaceutical drugs. Additionally, not all ingredients in international products are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Thus, the FDA has not approved a new sunscreen filter since 1996.
In Europe, sunscreens are regulated as cosmetics instead of pharmaceutical drugs, allowing greater flexibility in active ingredients that manufacturers can use to protect from UVA rays. Whereas countries in Europe have 34 approved UV filters for sunscreen, the U.S. only has 16 filters. Korea, similarly to European countries, have over 30 approved sunscreen filters for their formulations.
The United States is behind in sunscreen innovation, so take advantage of the advanced protection that sunscreens have to offer in other countries. Here are some examples of sunscreens to buy around the world: