Prominent Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called on US citizens to lobby politicians to change federal sunscreen regulations.
In an interview on social media, Ocasio-Cortez said Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classification of sunscreen as a drug instead of a cosmetic limited consumer choice compared to other nations.
The classification of sunscreen as a drug is a barrier to innovation, she added, that prevents consumers buying products with new UV filters.
Commonly known as AOC, the New York representative cited a 2017 study that found only half of US sunscreens met European protection standards.
“Congress has not been very aware of this issue, which is why there hasn’t been a lot of momentum behind this issue. Please contact your member of Congress, especially if they sit on the Energy and Commerce Committee, they have jurisdiction over the FDA,” she said.
“Ask them to break through some of the regulatory FDA barriers and fund public research so that we can all enjoy the filters developed out of the scientific process.”
