People who spend hours in the sun have a new line of defense against the harmful rays: the first new type of sunscreen in a quarter century.
The newest type of sunscreen approved in the U.S. is finally hitting store shelves.
The sunscreen, according to The Associated Press, is the go-to in Europe and other parts of the globe, but was only approved by the Food and Drug Administration in June.
The skin-protecting chemical is bemotrizinol, or BEMT, and, according to dermatologists, provides broad-spectrum protection without leaving white streaks.
It protects against UVB rays, which cause sunburn, and UVA rays, which can cause wrinkles and cancer.
BEMT blocks both, while previous broad-spectrum sunblocks combined ingredients to achieve the same results.
It also doesn’t absorb into the skin as other chemical sunblocks do, the AP explained.
“It’s a molecule that’s too big to really penetrate through the skin and get absorbed into the bloodstream,” dermatologist Jennifer Stein said. “The older chemical sunscreens had small molecules.”
A study of more than 500 people by manufacturer DSM Nutritional Products showed that the levels of BEMT absorbed into the skin were nearly undetectable. People who used it for up to three weeks showed it “did not cause irritation” or allergic reactions, the AP reported.
The FDA said it was “generally recognized as safe and effective.”
As for the new products, Neutrogena and Ultra Violette were among the first brands to hit store shelves in the U.S., according to Forbes.
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