Sunscreen Testing

For decades, sunscreens have been used by millions of people around the world to prevent sunburns and skin cancer. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is calling for companies to conduct additional animal testing in order to keep these lifesaving products on the market.

Despite the FDA’s repeated public claims that it supports modern test methods relevant to human health, the agency has refused to allow the use of non-animal testing approaches or to consider decades’ worth of evidence that governments around the world agree show that these products are safe to use and help prevent skin cancer. The agency’s resistance to the use of modern approaches to evaluate sunscreen safety causes problems for the public and manufacturers that have pledged not to support animal testing because of ethical issues and the availability of better, animal-free approaches.

In 2024, approximately 15,000 PETA members and supporters signed a letter urging the FDA to use non-animal approaches to assess sunscreens. PETA scientists are working to ensure that animal tests aren’t conducted for sunscreens and that the FDA prioritizes scientifically relevant, non-animal testing approaches that protect human health, in addition to relying on evidence based on years of product use.