DermFriends | New Law Modernizes FDA Sunscreen Approval

Skincare News | TikTok & Instagram Trends | Skincare Bestsellers

Heather Woolery-Lloyd
November 21, 2025

The US Congress has passed new legislation to update FDA sunscreen requirements. Here’s a quick summary:

Congress passed new legislation to update existing FDA requirements for the approval of new sunscreen active ingredients. The new law signed on November 13th allows for the use of non-animal testing methods, such as in vitro, in silico, and in chemico tests, as alternatives to traditional animal testing🏛️
The FDA is now allowed to use "real world evidence" to supplement traditional clinical trial data for determining an ingredient's Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective (GRASE) status🔬
Real-world evidence includes data from sources other than traditional clinical trials, such as electronic health records, adverse event reports, and previously published safety information🌎
The law updates the Sunscreen Final Administrative Order (FAO) to account for historical safety data regarding previously accepted sunscreen active ingredients📜
Accounting for historical data could potentially help restore the GRASE status of the 12 organic ("chemical") UV filters that lost it in 2019, including avobenzone and oxybenzone☀️
The Secretary of Health is required to issue new draft guidance within one year on how sponsors can use nonclinical testing alternatives to meet safety and efficacy standards📝

Dermatologists weigh in on 2026 skincare trends. Here’s a quick summary:

Lip Peptide Treatments: These are a kinder, gentler alternative to the irritating plumpers of the past. The next generation of lipcare uses matrikine peptides to stimulate long-term collagen and elastin production💋
Milky Toners: New-generation, alcohol-free toners are formulated with hydrating ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid to balance skin pH and infuse the skin with extra moisture🥛
Skincare for GLP-1 Users: A new market has emerged to address "Ozempic Face," where products use familiar anti-aging ingredients like peptides and hyaluronic acid to help restore volume and firmness lost due to weight-loss drugs✨
Retinol Body Care: The powerful anti-aging ingredient retinol is expanding beyond the face and is increasingly found in body products to promote cell turnover, improve skin texture, fade sun spots, and treat keratosis pilaris💪
Neurocosmetics: This frontier leverages the skin-brain connection, using ingredients like wild indigo and lavender to potentially reduce stress, thereby improving both skin quality and mental well-being🧠
Dermatologists caution that while trends can introduce effective ingredients, shoppers should focus on products with proven science rather than believing every new claim🔬

TikTok has introduced a new AI slider within its "Manage Topics" control panel. Here’s a quick summary:

TikTok is rolling out a new slider in its "Manage Topics" tool, enabling users to limit the amount of AI-generated content in their feeds🎚️
The setting is intended to help users tailor the diverse range of content in their For You feed, rather than removing all AI content entirely✂️
TikTok cannot remove all AI content because its current detection systems cannot identify every generative AI clip🕵️
The platform is testing "invisible watermarking" on gen AI videos to help reliably label content and prevent labels from being removed during cross-posting✅
TikTok is following platforms like Pinterest, which also recently added options for users to opt out of seeing AI content📲
The addition of these controls suggests that audience enthusiasm for generative AI content is not meeting the high demand that many developers had anticipated📉