FDA approves first new sunscreen ingredient since 1999

The FDA has approved bemotrizinol (BEMT), an ingredient used in European and Asian sunscreens for over 20 years. The move is being billed as the first upgrade to US sunscreen this century and promises more efficient, smoother-feeling formulas. BEMT is a chemical UV filter that absorbs both UVA and UVB rays and does not break down easily in sunlight, which can improve protection against skin cancer and help prevent wrinkles.

The FDA treats sunscreens as non-prescription drugs, a process that has slowed ingredient approvals; the agency hasn't approved a new UV-blocking filter in decades. Dermatologist Dr. Ellen Gendler says US sunscreens are "very good" at blocking UVB but rely on a single UVA ingredient, avobenzone, which she called "not very stable." She added that UVA rays penetrate more deeply and may be "even more harmful to the skin," and that SPF alone is not an indicator of UVA protection.

United States

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