The Food and Drug Administration announced a proposal Thursday to make another sunscreen ingredient available to U.S. manufacturers. The ingredient — a UV light filter called bemotrizinol — has long been available in Europe, Australia and some Asian countries. On social media, skin care enthu siasts share their sunscreen hauls from abroad. So, why all the hype around a sunscreen ingredient? UV filters do the job of blocking out harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. To be most effective, they need to be “broad-spectrum,” meaning they block out both UVA and UVB rays. “The ‘B’ is ‘burning rays,’ which causes sunburn. The ‘A’ is the ‘aging ray,’ which causes tanning reaction, wrinkle formation,” said Dr. Henry Lim, former chair of dermatology at Henry Ford Health in Detroit and past president of the American Academy of Dermatology. Both, he added, contribute to skin cancer risk. There are two main types of UV filters used in sunscreens: chemical and mineral. Mineral sunscreens — which contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide — can block both UVA and UVB rays, but often leave a white cast on the skin, making chemical filters generally more favorable to consumers. The chemical filter sunscreens available in the U.S., however, either protect against UVA or UVB. None of the chemical filters in the U.S. are broad-spectrum on their own. (Sunscreens will often contain a mix of chemical filters to cover both UVA and UVB.) Chemical sunscreens also break down in the sun, so they need to be regularly reapplied. Enter bemotrizinol. It’s a broad-spectrum chemical sunscreen that’s far more stable. “It would not degrade upon exposure to sunlight,” Lim said. Another concern with other sunscreens is that some have shown the ability to seep into the bloodstream. (It remains unclear whether this is harmful.) Bemotrizinol “does not penetrate the body surface and does not absorb into the bloodstream, so it has a good safety profile,” said Dr. Steven Wang, chief of dermatology at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California. Dr. Adam Friedman, a professor and the chair of dermatology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., added that chemical UV filters “are irritating at baseline, let alone if someone has acne, rosacea, eczema — it’s hard for people to be adherent to them because they sting.” “It does seem to be better tolerated,” said Friedman of bemotrizinol, “in comparison to other UV filters.” “Bemotrizinol will be a welcome addition to the U.S. sunscreen industry,” Wang said. It will also be the first new UV filter in the U.S. in over 25 years. The FDA acknowledged that it has taken a long time to arrive at this point. “The agency has historically moved too slowly in this area, leaving Americans with fewer options than consumers abroad,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said in a press release. One of the main reasons is that in the U.S., sunscreen filter ingredients are classified as over-the-counter drugs, as opposed to cosmetics, meaning they require clinical trials to test for safety and effectiveness before they can be approved. “In Europe, they’re not looked at that way,” Friedman said. “That’s why they can come out with things much faster.” Health Wellness Jun 27 Should you use SPF 30 or 50? Higher SPF isn't necessarily better, experts say Health May 24 You should wear sunscreen even if you have darker skin. Here's why The FDA said that a new sunscreen, like bemotrizinol, can be brought to market without an approved drug application if it meets certain requirements. To do so, the FDA must first make a proposal. The proposal must go through a public comment period before it issues the final order and adds bemotrizinol to its list of allowed sunscreen ingredients. Ben Nichols, an FDA spokesman, said the agency expects that the final order will come sometime next summer or fall and that sunscreen with bemotrizinol could be sold in the U.S. as early as late 2026. ...read more read less