FDA approves a well-known sunscreen ingredient—finally
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey, it's Flora, and you're listening to Science Friday. The FDA recently approved a sunscreen ingredient that's been used in Europe and Asia for years. It's called Bematrizinol, also known as BEMT. And this is a big deal because it's the first new sunscreen ingredient approved in the U.S. in over two decades. Meanwhile, skin cancer has become the most common cancer in the U.S.,
What sunscreen ingredient did the FDA recently approve?
Here to get into the chemistry of sunblock is AJ Aday, a chemistry PhD candidate studying sunscreen at UCLA. She's also the founder of Sula Labs, which tests sunscreen and other cosmetics formulations. AJ, welcome to Science Friday. Thank you for having me. I'm excited to chat. Me too. Is this approval big news in your world?
Oh, for sure. I think over two decades, as you said, has been the last time that there's been a UV filter approval in the United States.
Why is bemotrizinol significant for sunscreen users?
So this fundamentally changes the landscape a bit.
Well, how is B-metrizanol different from other sunscreen ingredients?
Yeah, so BEMT is actually the first UV filter that has been approved that is an organic UV filter that is generally recognized as safe and effective. So I say organic very intentionally because there are two UV filter classes that are allowed in the United States in organic UV filters. So that would be zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. And then there are organic UV filters. And those are ones like homosalate, octisalate, oxybenzone, avobenzone. So BEMT would fall under the organic class. And it would be the first and only one that contains this generally recognized as safe and effective status.
Does this new ingredient feel different, look different, go on differently?
So it definitely has an advantage over zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. in that it goes on the skin a little bit more transparently than you would expect from inorganic filters. So that's a great advantage. But I would say the biggest advantage is actually in how efficiently it protects the skin from harmful UV damage. Say more. Yeah, so there are a lot of UV filters already allowed in the United States, but a lot of them really skew towards UVB protection, which is useful because sun protection factor really narrowly measures the ability for a sunscreen to protect you from UVB rays. What's great about BEMT is that it actually very efficiently absorbs both UVB and UVA rays, which would make it more of a broad-spectrum filter.
And that's exciting because typically you have to combine several different UV filters and sunscreens to get a broad spectrum claim. Whereas with BEMT, you can do so a little bit more efficiently without taking up so much of the sunscreen's real estate. Now, the only other UV filter that does absorb broad spectrum is abobenzone allowed in the United States. But the thing about abobenzone is that it does require other UV filters to stabilize it. So this is really the most efficient UV filter as far as that. And what's the difference between UVA and UVB light? So UVB light, particularly, I think we associate more with sunburn, whereas UVA light, we associate more with photoaging, skin darkening, more of those cosmetic concerns that you see.
You know, there's some concern about the chemicals in sunscreen. Is BEMT any safer or is its chemistry any different?
Yes. To pass any UV filter in the United States, it requires a lot of toxicological evidence and it requires evidence of understanding how A filter could interact with human biology. What's great about BEMT is that it's actually a lot larger of a molecule than other UV filters that we've seen. And so it's well beyond a limit that one would be concerned for, you know, extreme biological damage. absorption profiles or exposure that could be harmful to the human skin or human body. So that's also a really great advantage because the toxicity risk profile is significantly lower than one would expect.
You mentioned that BEMT doesn't leave as much of that white cast on the skin. What gives sunscreen that white color?
So, you know, that can be kind of a deterrent for a lot of people for wearing sunscreens.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–0:27
2
What sunscreen ingredient did the FDA recently approve?
0:27–0:58
3
Why is bemotrizinol significant for sunscreen users?
0:58–5:23
4
How does bemotrizinol differ from other sunscreen ingredients?
5:23–9:19
5
What advantages does bemotrizinol offer in terms of application?
9:19–12:14
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from Science Friday
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