U.S. Sunscreens Aren't Great. The FDA Could Soon Change That

"Sunscreens in the U.S. could be in line for a long overdue update. On Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a proposal to permit the use of bemotrizinol, a broad-spectrum ultraviolet (UV) chemical filter. The ingredient is well known for its effectiveness and is already used in many popular sunscreen brands produced in other parts of the world, such as Asia and Europe."

"That's why social media is rife with sunscreen haul videos of Americans showing off their Asian- and European-made lotions and sprays. In the announcement, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said that the agency has historically moved too slowly in this area, leaving Americans with fewer options than consumers abroad. Compared with Europe's more than 30 approved UV-filtering ingredients, the U.S. has only 16, with the last active ingredient approved in 1999."

"Bemotrizinol was approved in Europe in 2000 and has been shown to be safe and effective. Sunscreens with bemotrizinol also tend to have a lighter weight and to be longer lasting and less greasy than those with other ingredients. The proposal, which comes after years of attempts to overhaul U.S. sunscreen regulation, would allow sunscreen products with bemotrizinol to be sold over the counter in the U.S., perhaps bringing an end to the criticism that the country has lagged behind on sunscreen."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed permitting bemotrizinol, a broad-spectrum UV chemical filter already used across Europe and Asia, for over-the-counter sunscreens. Bemotrizinol has demonstrated safety and effectiveness, and formulations containing it are often lighter, longer lasting, and less greasy. The U.S. currently approves 16 UV-filtering ingredients compared with Europe’s more than 30, and the last U.S. active ingredient approval occurred in 1999. The proposal follows years of regulatory efforts and aims to increase consumer options and address criticism that U.S. sunscreen offerings have lagged behind those available abroad.

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