Cancerwise

There’s a new ingredient coming to sunscreens in the U.S. soon. Known as bemotrizinol, this chemical compound has been widely used in Europe, Asia and Australia for a long time. And, it doesn’t absorb as easily into your skin, potentially making it safer than other types of chemical sunscreens available here.

This is the first new sunscreen ingredient approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in more than 20 years. Bemotrizinol has received the FDA’s “generally recognized as safe and effective” (GRASE) designation for its effectiveness in blocking out both types of ultraviolet light and its long-lasting properties lacking from sunscreens currently available in the United States. GRASE is a legal designation used by the FDA.

For dermatologist Susan Chon, M.D., this is a big deal. “We can finally offer an alternative sunscreen that more people may be willing to use,” she says. “The features of this sunscreen are really attractive.”

Why the FDA’s approval matters

Up until now, the chemical sunscreens available in the U.S. have been known to absorb into your body and circulate in your bloodstream. They include avobenzone and oxybenzone. The long-term effects of that are still unknown and could pose health risks. Chon says this is because researchers have no way to do a controlled study of this. It’s currently impossible to determine whether any effects are due to sunscreen or a multitude of other factors.

“If we can avoid exposure to more of these things, and we have other alternatives, such as sunscreens with bemotrizinol, we should take advantage of that,” Chon says.