Healthline Wellness Wire

In a Nutshell

When I’m not writing emails to you lovely people, I’m splashing around in the ocean or taking my dog for hikes through the woods. With so much time spent outdoors, I’ve become a bit of a zealot about skin care and especially sun protection. So when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared in my feed alongside skinfluencer Charlotte Palermino recently, my ears perked up. Apparently, the United States is way behind other countries when it comes to sunscreen innovation. Below, we explain why.

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Stay sharp,
Ginger Wojcik
Newsletter Editor, Healthline

Written by Ginger Wojcik
October 17, 2026 • 4 min read

what’s got us buzzing

Why is U.S. sunscreen stuck in the last century?

Skin cancer — aka the most common type of skin cancer in the United States — is usually caused by sun exposure. And since sunscreen is critical for defending against the sun’s lethal rays, you’d hope that everyone would have access to the best possible options. Well, if you live in the United States, that isn’t necessarily true. Here’s why:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates sunscreen as a drug since it protects against skin cancer and signs of aging.
Because drugs require a rigorous approval process including human clinical trials, it’s very costly and time consuming to get new ingredients approved.
The last time a new ultraviolet (UV) filter (i.e., an active ingredient that protects against UV exposure) was approved by the FDA was 1999.
There are currently 17 UV filters approved in the United States. compared with 29 in the European Union, which regulates sunscreen as a cosmetic. Japanese and South Korean sunscreens are also known for their higher levels of protection.

It’s important to note that although there are ingredients out there that could be giving you more protection, the sunscreens made in the United States are still highly effective at protecting against UV rays. If you want to explore sunscreens from other countries, you can find many of them online. Keep reading for one of our top recs.

great finds

Your face needs this!

Bioré Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sunscreen SPF 50+ Pa+++

Japan is on the cutting edge of sunscreen innovation. The country developed the PA+ rating system, which measures the level of protection against UVA rays. Reviewers of this cult favorite SPF from Japanese brand Bioré rave about how light it feels compared with U.S. sunscreens. In addition to being an SPF 50+, it has a PA+++ rating, meaning it provides high protection against UVA rays.

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Every product we recommend has gone through Healthline's vetting process. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline is owned by RVO Health.

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Thanks for reading friends! If you have any suggestions for how we can make this newsletter even better, please let us know at wellnesswire@healthline.com. Yes, we really do read every email! (Please note that we may use your name and response in an upcoming edition!)

Until next time,

Take care of yourself, and we’ll see
you again soon!

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Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline’s or Optum Now’s vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Now are owned by RVO Health.