FDA approves new sunscreen ingredient used for years in Europe and Asia | CNN

For the first time in 20 years, the US Food and Drug Administration 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. “Bemotrizinol has been used safely in Europe for decades, and FDA’s action will increase competition and consumer confidence in sunscreen products,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said in a statement announcing the change. Adding BEMT is welcome news to many because there are few choices on US store shelves that are both safe and effective, according to an annual report by the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a nonprofit health and environmental advocacy organization. Social media’s message about the sun and sunscreen: ‘It’s frightening’ Sunscreens on US store shelves today excel at blocking the radiation that causes visible sunburns, called ultraviolet B rays. However, critics say they routinely fail to shield against deep-penetrating ultraviolet A, or UVA rays, which drive premature aging, suppress the immune system and are the primary contributor to skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Societ