Physical Sunscreens vs. Chemical Sunscreens:

According to the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Academy of Dermatology Association, physical sunscreens work like a shield while chemical sunscreens work like a sponge. Physical sunscreens contain the active(s) zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, and work by sitting on the skin’s surface deflecting the sun’s rays. On the other hand, most chemical sunscreens contain one or more of the following active ingredients that absorb the sun’s rays: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, octinoxate.

Originally, the chemical sunscreens were used in small quantities for preventing sunburn on vacation. According to a CNN article, the FDA started to become concerned about chemical safety when sun protection agencies started recommending daily application on large parts of the body.

Oxybenzone seems to be the most concerning active ingredient in sunscreens. In a small FDA study of sunscreen chemicals, oxybenzone was absorbed into the body at a concentration of approximately 50 to 100 times higher than the other three chemicals. Other studies have shown a potential link between oxybenzone and changing hormone levels in men, including lower testosterone. According to the article, it is also the most common cause of contact allergies and can also leach into breast milk.

Experts say that you should NOT stop using sunscreens. Further studies need to be conducted to determine the medical implications, if any, of sunscreen absorption. However, the increasing awareness surrounding the potentially harmful absorption of these chemicals encourages consumers to be more cautious about the type of sunscreens they purchase. Alternative sun protection methods include avoiding sun exposure at peak times, using protective clothing, and wearing a hat.

For more information, please contact Focal Point Research Inc.  We are leading North American Regulatory and New Product Consultants for Medical Devices, Natural Health Products, OTC Drugs, Cosmetics, and other consumer products regulated by Health Canada and the U.S. FDA.

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However, both small beauty brands and multinational cosmetic corporations are rethinking their packaging models to consider more eco-friendly options in order to reduce their environmental footprints. A post published by Cosmetics Design USA states that Veolia, a world leader in waste management, is teaming up with Unilever to take a leadership stance in defining responsible packaging initiatives for future generations. Recyclables are only recycled if they are deemed as useful materials for future use. Thus, Unilever not only aims to use plastic packaging that is made of fully recyclable materials, but to incorporate 25% of recycled material into its packaging by 2025. Unilever and Veolia plan to start their collaboration by collecting materials from India and Indonesia.

The Terracycle Zero Waste Box

Although the spotlight is on eco-friendly cosmetic packaging, these changes can’t happen overnight. According to Cosmetics Design USA, TerraCycle has taken a different approach towards diverting from filling landfills with post-consumer waste. RecycleSmart has teamed up with Terracycle to introduce waste collection boxes, called the Terracycle Zero Waste Box, designed to recycle anything.

How does it work? A customer will first select a waste stream that they would like to recycle. The waste streams span a large variety of household items such as jewellery, luggage bags, garden products, and health care packaging. Once the waste stream is chosen online, the boxes can be ordered and delivered to the customer’s house to be filled up. Once the boxes are full, the customer ships them back to Terracycle, where the product constituents are sorted into metals, plastics, organics, fibers, fabrics, glass, e-waste, cigarette waste, and latex paints. Once sorted, the products are repurposed into creative products instead of being sent to landfill.

It is evident that many companies are developing various approaches to tackle the environmental issues that threaten society, and consumers these days are expecting no less.

For more information, please contact Focal Point Research Inc.  We are leading North American Regulatory and New Product Consultants for Medical Devices, Natural Health Products, OTC Drugs, Cosmetics, and other consumer products regulated by Health Canada and the U.S. FDA.

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A Health Canada project worked to reduce this burden by decreasing the regulatory requirements for sunscreen products being imported from the U.S. After the one-year pilot project, which ran from February 27^th, 2017 to February 27^th, 2018, Health Canada is now looking to expand the pilot to include additional jurisdictions, including Mexico, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, the European Community (EC), and the European Economic Area – European Free Trade Association (EEA – EFTA). This project, to expand the Sunscreen Pilot to include other countries with existing Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) will significantly reduce, or eliminate completely, the need for additional confirmatory testing that is done when importing sunscreen products into Canada.

The details of the expansion are outlined in Drug Establishment Licensing (DEL) Bulletin #41, which was issued by Health Canada in November 2018, and will come into effect February 14^th, 2019. The Expanded Pilot replaces the 5-year limit on absence of US Food and Drug Administration or Heath Canada inspections with mandating that GMP renewal evidence be submitted on or before a New Evidence Required By (NERBY) date. It also includes sunscreen products which have been fabricated in Canada, but packaged, tested, or labelled in any of the original or newly included jurisdictions. Currently, the project’s focus is on sunscreens, however other low-risk products such as anti-dandruff shampoo and mouthwash may be introduced in the future.

The application process for participating in the Expanded Sunscreen Pilot includes submitting a complete application package, which can be found on the Health Canada website.

For more information, please contact Focal Point Research Inc.  We are leading North American Regulatory and New Product Consultants for Medical Devices, Natural Health Products, OTC Drugs, Cosmetics, and other consumer products regulated by Health Canada and the U.S. FDA.

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Omron Healthcare Inc. has recently disclosed a new feature that allows Amazon Alexa devices to take blood pressure readings, as well as compare them to other readings taken over time. Amazon Alexa users can ask simple questions about their blood pressure, and receive information about their cardiovascular health from the comfort of their own home.

How can it be used?

The new technology can be accessed through the Omron Connect app used in conjunction with the Alexa app, both of which can be downloaded for free from Apple iOS or the Google Play store. They can sync with Omron’s blood pressure monitors, and provide information on average readings, or judge the readings against the last highest/lowest recorded readings, and much more. It also allows Alexa to provide guidelines for measurement to ensure the readings are taken accurately, making the monitoring of blood pressure easy for patients new to the practice.

For those without adverse health conditions, regularly monitoring blood-pressure with Alexa can provide insight on cardiovascular health conditions for proactively taking health into one’s own hands. It can help one act sooner on obscure numbers and can potentially be life-saving.

Omron Healthcare European president and CEO André Van Gils said: “It’s more important than ever for us to find new ways to help people simplify and ease their blood pressure monitoring habits, so that they can understand and manage their condition more efficiently.”

This new cardiovascular health monitoring addition to Amazon Alexa has consumers wondering what Amazon will come up with next.

For more information, please contact Focal Point Research Inc.  We are leading North American Regulatory and New Product Consultants for Medical Devices, Natural Health Products, OTC Drugs, Cosmetics, and other consumer products regulated by Health Canada and the U.S. FDA.

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