The National Post has reported that the US FDA and Health Canada are warning consumers to beware of misleading claims made by companies about the effectiveness of edible sunscreen.
Last week, warning letters were sent by the FDA to companies that are “misleading consumers and putting people at risk”.
One of the companies warned by the FDA is selling pills that claim to provide protection from the sun. The FDA is specifically questioning the claims that their Advanced Skin Brightening Formula “enhances photoprotection” and will “strengthen your skin’s defences against ultraviolet radiation in the form of a daily supplement”.
“There may, in the future be an injectable sunscreen,” said Dr. Jason Rivers, a clinical professor at the University of British Columbia and a member of the Canadian Dermatology Association. But “there’s almost no evidence” that oral sunscreens work.
So, for now, follow conventional wisdom: seek shade, wear a hat and use good old-fashioned topical sunscreen that burns your eyes and tastes terrible if you try to eat it.