According to the EWG, the difference comes down to regulations.21 The U.S. FDA regulates sunscreen ingredients as OTC pharmaceuticals, while Europe and most of Asia regulate them as cosmetics, which allows new ingredients to come to market after faster review. The FDA hasn’t approved a new UV filtering ingredient since 1996, while other countries have several newer ingredients. Most sunscreens are effective at blocking the UVB rays responsible for causing sunburns, but on average, European and Korean sunscreens tend to be better at blocking the UVA rays that cause subtler damage and can also raise your risk for skin cancer.22 “Asia and Europe are far ahead of us in terms of having more advanced filters for filtering different types of UVA rays,” says Dr. Kopelman. Additionally, the EU limits the active ingredients allowed in sunscreens that are still used in the US and tied to endocrine disruption and other safety concerns.23