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Sunscreen pills
  • LoonyLollipop
    Many news articles are gushing about the revolutionary development of sunscreen supplements, specifically SunPill and Heliocare. These products would be a wonderful alternative to topical sunscreens because I am very allergic to oxybenzone and avenobenzene, two common ingredients in over-the-counter topical sun blocks. However, no article has mentioned whether this pill offers broad spectrum protection. It seems like I can get more effective and less expensive sun protection by wearing a hat and drinking green tea. I admit that I am a cynical person and can be fairly stubborn. Since you have more access and knowledge about scientific breakthroughs, are these sunscreen supplements overhyped products? Or is there a sizable benefit that warrants the expensive price?
  • PurpleRulesPurpleRules
    It's been a while since I read about this but, if I remember correctly, it was a long way from providing any type of effective protection on its own. It didn't even come close to being SPF 15, mever mind being full-spectrum. Is it on the market yet? I thought it was still "in development", which means a it might never hit the market. Either way, I hope they're hard at work improving this product. An sunscreen pill or supplement would be awesome but I'm afraid it will wind up being like laser hair removal -- not effective enough to justify the cost.
  • LoonyLollipop
    Yup, these pills have been released. I noticed Heliocare at my local Rite Aid and Wal-Mart for $$62.99-$69.99. As a high school student, the price seems pretty egregious, especially for a pill that contains antioxidants. However, it would be a wonderful relief since many topical sunscreens produce rashes. I cannot find the full list of ingredients for these products, which is unnerving. Since Cosmopolitan magazine (along with a reputable dermatologist) also recommended this product, I was hoping that there was some legitimacy.

    Apparently this product is designed to reverse sun damage. Los Angeles dermatologist Dr. Jessica Wu said: "...this pill mops up the damage that gets past the sunscreen you might be wearing. It also repairs damage that is done to your skin that leads to skin cancer..."

    If AP chemistry didn’t cause me weep at night, I might consider pursuing this major. My science fair project seems more effective than this product. It was also inexpensive. It must be the patenting.
  • Janis
    I hope it does work, but I suspect if it does, it'd be regulated as a drug fairly shortly. I don't know, though.

    It'd be WAY better than slimy goo that gets on your clothes, by far.
  • PurpleRulesPurpleRules
    So it's not really a sunscreen at all. It's more like a morning-after pill than a birth-control pill. The dosage is 1 capsule daily; 2 capsules daily when "more than ordinary sun exposure is expected." At over $1 per capsule, that could get expensive if you live in California or Australia or just spend a lot of time outdoors. It would be nice if your insurance would cover it if you had a history of  skin cancer but that's unlikely since it's sold over the counter.
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