By Breelyn Vanleeuwen PA-C | Founder & CEO Daily Shade Sunscreen
When I became a mom I was already a practicing Physician Assistant. I had spent years in medicine teaching clinical decision making and treating patients. I understood that skin cancer is the most common cancer in America and also one of the most preventable.
What I did not understand was the gap in ingredient regulation between the United States and the European Union.
And once I learned it I could not unlearn it.
The 1,700 Ingredient Gap
In the United States the FDA has banned only 11 ingredients from cosmetic use.
In the European Union more than 1,700 ingredients are banned or restricted in cosmetic formulations due to safety concerns including:
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Carcinogenicity
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Endocrine disruption
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Reproductive toxicity
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Developmental toxicity
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Organ toxicity
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Sensitization and allergic reactions
That discrepancy stopped me in my tracks. I am a PA with nearly 15 years of clinical experience. I have seen firsthand what melanoma does to families. I have seen young women in their 20s and 30s undergo reconstructive surgery for facial skin cancer. I have watched it spread. I have watched it devastate.
So when I learned that U.S. cosmetic standards allow ingredients that the EU has already removed from shelves I asked a simple question:
Why would I hold my children to a lower safety standard than Europe does?
What Are Those 1,700 Ingredients?
It is important to clarify something.
There is not a single neat list labeled “1,700 bad ingredients.” The EU bans or restricts ingredients across multiple annexes based on evolving toxicology data. Many of these ingredients are prohibited because of:
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Known or suspected hormone disruption
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Carcinogenic potential
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Bioaccumulation
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Reproductive harm
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Mutagenicity
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High sensitization risk
Examples of ingredient categories often restricted or banned in the EU include:
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Certain parabens
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Formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers
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Certain phthalates
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Some coal tar derivatives
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Specific synthetic musks
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Certain UV filters not approved under EU regulation
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Heavy metal contaminants above strict thresholds
The EU uses a precautionary principle. If an ingredient shows credible concern it is removed or restricted until proven safe.
The U.S. system works differently. Ingredients often remain in circulation unless definitively proven harmful under a much higher burden of proof.
That difference matters.
Why This Became Personal
My journey into ingredient scrutiny did not begin as a political statement. It began with my daughter.
After she experienced a severe reaction to a popular baby sunscreen I started reading ingredient decks obsessively. I discovered something even more concerning:
Many sunscreens labeled “mineral” were not purely mineral at all.
They contained UV chemical boosters like:
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Butyloctyl Salicylate
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Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene
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Tridecyl Salicylate
These ingredients function like chemical UV absorbers but are not regulated as active sunscreen filters. They can amplify SPF readings without appearing on the active ingredient list.
That was the moment I decided if I was going to create a sunscreen it would be different.
Daily Shade’s Non Negotiables
From day one Daily Shade was built around pillars:
1. Ban the 1,700+
Even though we sell in the United States we voluntarily exclude the 1,700+ ingredients restricted or banned in the EU.
We chose the harder road.
2. 100% Non Nano Zinc Oxide Only
No titanium dioxide
No hybrid filters
No hidden chemical boosters
Zinc oxide is the only single ingredient that protects against UVA1 UVA2 and UVB. It is photo stable. It works immediately. It sits on top of the skin.
3. No UV Chemical Boosters
No Butyloctyl Salicylate
No Methoxycrylene
No structural UV mimickers
If our SPF says 30 or 50 it is because zinc oxide earned that number. Not because a booster inflated it.
4. Ingredient Transparency
No fragrance
No endocrine disrupting additives
No unnecessary fillers
We built Daily Shade to be something I would confidently use on my own four children every single day.
Why This Matters for the Rising Generation
Up to 80% of lifetime sun damage occurs before age 18. Once UV damage alters a skin cell it cannot be undone.
We cannot reverse those mutations decades later.
We can only prevent them.
And prevention must start early.
Daily sunscreen use is not about fear. It is about normalization. It is about building habits as routine as brushing teeth.
If Europe can decide 1,700 ingredients are not appropriate for cosmetic use then as parents we should at least ask why.
Not from a place of panic.
But from a place of responsibility.
A Higher Bar on Purpose
Daily Shade is not just another sunscreen brand. It is a mission driven company founded by a medical provider who has seen melanoma up close.
We are:
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Woman Owned
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USA Made
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Nexty Award Finalist
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Mom’s Choice Gold Award
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Yuka Rated 93/100
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EWG Verification Pending
But more than awards our proudest metric is this:
Every bottle is built to meet a higher standard than required.
Because when it comes to the most common cancer in America “good enough” is not good enough.
The Question I Always Ask
If the majority of skin cancer is preventable
If most sun damage happens in youth
If zinc oxide is the gold standard
If 1,700+ ingredients are already restricted elsewhere
Then why wouldn’t we choose the safest reasonable path forward?
That is why Daily Shade exists.
Not because sunscreen did not exist.
But because the right sunscreen did not.
And our kids deserve better.
