#dermatology #sunscreen - Does the new drinkable SPF really work? Specialists have the answer.

Have you heard of the new sunscreen you can drink? Introducing Osmosis Skincare’s UV Neutralizer Harmonized Water, a product that claims to provide the equivalent of SPF 30, protecting you from 97% of UVA and UVB rays for up to three hours. How? By making the water molecules just below the surface of your skin vibrate, emitting frequencies that cancel out the burn-causing frequencies of UVA and UVB radiation, says Ben Johnson, MD, general practitioner and founder of Osmosis Skincare.

If that sounds like science fiction to you, you have good reason to be skeptical. When making a big claim like this, we need solid proof. And there doesn’t seem to be any. Saying that their water is ‘imprinted’ with vibrational waves which ‘isolate’ the frequencies that protect against UV rays is dubious at best.

No independent or clinical trials have been conducted on the product. Instead, the UV Neutralizer was tested internally on roughly 50 people for extended stays in the sun. The manufacturer understands the skepticism, but urges dermatologists (and the public) to try it for themselves.

Here’s the thing: Some sun protection can come from the inside out. There’s evidence that key nutrients found in certain foods, like phytochemicals in grapes, berries, and walnuts, and sulforaphane in broccoli, can offer some degree of protection. But these are supplemental. Your best bet is to follow dermatologists advice: You can get extra sun protection from nutritional sources, but it doesn’t replace the need for sunscreen every day and sun-smart behavior.