PCPC criticises EWG sunscreen guide as “misleading”
The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) has released a statement addressing this year's Environmental Working Group (EWG) sunscreen guide:
"The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) and our member companies remain firmly committed to ensuring that Americans have access to a wide variety of safe and effective sunscreen products. We continue to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide additional safety data on several ultraviolet (UV) filters in order to ensure consumer confidence in the safety and effectiveness of these critical products.
“Unfortunately, once again, the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) sunscreen guide misleads consumers into assuming sunscreen products are unsafe, thereby jeopardising public health. Sunscreen is a crucial and well-recognised tool in the fight against skin cancer. Our goal is to help consumers make informed decisions and continue to use sunscreens as an important part of their daily health routine.
“For these reasons, we remain concerned that the Sunscreen Innovation Act, which was signed into law in 2014, has not lived up to its promise to increase the speed of approvals for new active sunscreen ingredients. The FDA has not approved new UV filters since 1999. Additionally, globally approved filters used in Europe and other regions are not available in the U.S., greatly limiting options for American consumers."
"The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) and our member companies remain firmly committed to ensuring that Americans have access to a wide variety of safe and effective sunscreen products. We continue to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide additional safety data on several ultraviolet (UV) filters in order to ensure consumer confidence in the safety and effectiveness of these critical products.
“Unfortunately, once again, the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) sunscreen guide misleads consumers into assuming sunscreen products are unsafe, thereby jeopardising public health. Sunscreen is a crucial and well-recognised tool in the fight against skin cancer. Our goal is to help consumers make informed decisions and continue to use sunscreens as an important part of their daily health routine.
“For these reasons, we remain concerned that the Sunscreen Innovation Act, which was signed into law in 2014, has not lived up to its promise to increase the speed of approvals for new active sunscreen ingredients. The FDA has not approved new UV filters since 1999. Additionally, globally approved filters used in Europe and other regions are not available in the U.S., greatly limiting options for American consumers."
