--- title: The FDA Is Warning Consumers to Avoid Sunscreen Pills description: The FDA sent warning letters to four companies claiming to make dietary supplements that can protect the skin from sun damage. canonical: https://time.com/5288339/fda-sunscreen-pills/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-05-23T11:53:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T20:21:42.725Z article:section: Health og:title: The FDA Is Warning People to Steer Clear of Sunscreen Pills og:description: "There’s no pill or capsule that can replace your sunscreen" og:url: https://time.com/5288339/fda-sunscreen-pills/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4420d7fdfde0f8b6/6989314222fb85b6a8e25b45/sunscreen-supplements.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6000 og:image:height: 3375 og:image:alt: Soft Capsule Heap Back-lit og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The FDA Is Warning People to Steer Clear of Sunscreen Pills twitter:description: "There’s no pill or capsule that can replace your sunscreen" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4420d7fdfde0f8b6/6989314222fb85b6a8e25b45/sunscreen-supplements.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The FDA Is Warning People to Steer Clear of Sunscreen Pills > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators.  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. May 23, 2018 11:53 AM UTC  Soft Oil Capsule Fullframe Pattern Macro Shot Directly Above View. Soft Oil Capsule Fullframe Pattern Macro Shot Directly Above View. MirageC—Getty Images  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. May 23, 2018 11:53 AM UTC Sunscreen comes in many forms, from lotions to sprays to creams — but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to steer clear of one formula in particular: so-called sunscreen pills. The agency on Tuesday announced that it [sent warnings letters](https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm608499.htm) to four companies claiming to make [dietary supplements](http://time.com/5118902/nih-dietary-supplement/) that can protect people from sun damage, and reminded consumers that, “There’s no pill or capsule that can [replace your sunscreen](http://time.com/5279096/does-sunscreen-expire/).” The announcement specifically calls out four products — GliSODin Skin Nutrients’ [Advanced Skin Brightening Formula](https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm608257.htm), Napa Valley Bioscience’s [Sunsafe Rx](https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm608260.htm), Pharmacy Direct’s [Solaricare](https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm608220.htm) and Sunergized LLC’s [Sunergetic](https://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm608259.htm) — that it says “are putting people’s health at risk by giving consumers a false sense of security that a dietary supplement could prevent sunburn, reduce early skin aging caused by the sun, or protect from the risks of skin cancer.” The companies have been directed to reverse all violations associated with their products and review their marketing claims. A representative for Napa Valley Bioscience told TIME that, “Sunsafe Rx is made with ingredients that published clinical studies show protect skin from damage,” and that the product is useful for supplemental protection and for users with sensitive skin. “However, to be abundantly clear: the sun is dangerous, and UV rays damage your skin. We don’t market Sunsafe Rx as a sunscreen, and we certainly don’t tell consumers that they don’t need any other protection from the sun or that they don’t also need to use a topical sunscreen,” the statement says. “Everyone should exercise caution when exposed to the sun.” TIME could not immediately reach GliSODin or Sunergized LLC for comment. A representative from Pharmacy Direct was not familiar with Solaricare. The FDA is also supporting new research and regulations related to the safety and delivery of the active ingredients in conventional sunscreens, since growing evidence suggests some of them may be absorbed through the skin, according to the statement. “Given the recognized public health [benefits of sunscreen use](http://time.com/5273230/sunscreen-vitamin-d-deficiency/), the FDA is committed to finding ways to help bring a wider assortment of safe and effective sunscreen products to the public,” the statement says. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5288339/fda-sunscreen-pills/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5288339/fda-sunscreen-pills/"},"headline":"The FDA Is Warning People to Steer Clear of Sunscreen Pills","datePublished":"2018-05-23T11:53:46.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T20:21:42.725Z","description":"\"There’s no pill or capsule that can replace your sunscreen\"","url":"https://time.com/5288339/fda-sunscreen-pills/","keywords":["Supplements","onetime","healthytime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4420d7fdfde0f8b6/6989314222fb85b6a8e25b45/sunscreen-supplements.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Ducharme","jobTitle":"Ducharme is a contributor to TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4420d7fdfde0f8b6/6989314222fb85b6a8e25b45/sunscreen-supplements.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Soft Capsule Heap Back-lit","caption":"Soft Capsule Heap Back-lit","creditText":"MirageC—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/supplements/","name":"Supplements"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5288339/fda-sunscreen-pills/","name":"The FDA Is Warning People to Steer Clear of Sunscreen Pills"}}]}] ```