There are 16 main ingredients used in most sunscreen Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are considered safe, according to the FDA
Two others (PABA and trolamine salicylate) were deemed unsafe
The FDA is requesting more information on the other 12 ingredients
Most chemicals used in sunscreen may be banned in the US, regulators revealed today.
Two of the 16 main ingredients used in over-the-counter sunblock products are safe, the FDA said.
But as for the rest, it's not clear.
The health regulator said the proposed rule has been issued to establish conditions under which some sunscreen drug products can be sold without FDA-approved marketing applications.
The agency proposed that of the 16 currently used ingredients, only two - zinc oxide and titanium dioxide - are considered safe and effective based on available data.
In November 2016, the FDA had issued guidelines detailing the data that makers of over-the-counter sunscreens need to produce to prove the ingredients in the products are safe and effective. Two more (PABA and trolamine salicylate) were deemed unsafe, and regulators have requested more information on the remaining 12.