FDA approves first new sunscreen ingredient in more than 20 years

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted sunscreen active ingredients, the first such addition since the late 1990s.

Bemotrizinol provides protection against ultraviolet A and B rays and has low levels of absorption through the skin into the body, according to an FDA release. The FDA considers the ingredient to be generally recognized as safe and effective for use in sunscreens by adults and children 6 months of age and older.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in the release that his agency is “advancing innovation” in the sunscreen market with the move.

“Bemotrizinol has been used safely in Europe for decades, and FDA’s action will increase competition and consumer confidence in sunscreen products,” Kennedy added.

The addition of bemotrizinol is in line with a September report from the Trump administration’s Make America Health Again Commission, which included Kennedy, Agriculture Secretary........

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