AOC Picks a FIGHT – Splits the LEFT!

(USNewsMag.com) – The debate over better sunscreens in the United States began Aug. 10 after Squad member and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke out about the poor quality of sunscreens in the United States in comparison to other countries.

Ocasio-Cortez and esthetician Charlotte Palermino made the case that government regulations in the United States have hindered the industry in a TikTok video posted Aug. 10.

According to Ocasio-Cortez, because sunscreen is regulated as a drug and not as a cosmetic in the United States, consumers are left with inferior sunscreen options. Ocasio-Cortez went on to say it is unclear if sunscreens that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration offer more protection than European options despite undergoing more testing and having more stringent standards.

In her video, Ocasio-Cortez says to “contact your member of Congress” to help “break through some of the regulatory barriers at the FDA.”

However, liberals are not happy with Ocasio-Cortez’s stance. The Democratic Socialists of America Rhode Island Chapter stated her response is “not socialist, but soccer mom consumerism.” Other liberal organizations call Ocasio-Cortez the “most unserious member of Congress.”

Ocasio-Cortez is not the only one to speak out about the United States sunscreens being inferior.

A 2013 report by the Wall Street Journal showed a backlog of sunscreen ingredient applications before the FDA, with many of them being up to a decade old. The backlog resulted in people in the United States being prevented from having access to the same effective and affordable sunscreens that are available in other countries.

Economist Alex Tabarrok, who is a professor at George Mason University as well as a Marginal Revolution blogger, has been writing for over a decade about the FDA’s war on sunscreen. Tabarrok argues that by banning affordable and better products, the FDA is “increasing skin cancer.”

In 2022, Kelly Dobos stated the FDA was supposed to be fast-tracking the approval of some of the ingredients because of the European Union’s safety data and safe history of usage. However, the ingredients have not been changed.