The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new sunscreen ingredient, bemotrizinol, or BEMT, that experts say is a safer option than many chemical ingredients currently in use in the United States. This is the first time in 20 years that the FDA has approved a new sunscreen ingredient.

What is Bemotrizinol?

Bemotrizinol has been used safely in Europe for decades and provides adequate UVA protection, is not easily absorbed into the skin, and has the most robust safety data on any UV filter to date, said Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG). It is a chemical filter that provides broad-spectrum protection and can be combined with zinc oxide to provide strong protection with less white cast.

According to the American Cancer Society, UVA rays drive premature aging, suppress the immune system, and are the primary contributor to skin cancer. However, many sunscreens on US store shelves today fail to shield against UVA rays, with peer-reviewed research by EWG finding that US sunscreens deliver on average just 24% of the UVA protection implied by their sun protection factor (SPF) labels.

Impact on Consumers

The approval of bemotrizinol is welcome news to many, as there are few choices on US store shelves that are both safe and effective. This new ingredient will increase competition and consumer confidence in sunscreen products, according to US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.