An improved sunscreen has been available in Europe for years. Now it’s coming here.

Stores carry a dizzying array of sunscreen options, and now, thanks to federal action this week, there will be more, likely by year’s end.

Experts and consumer groups are cheering the move by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve bemotrizinol, also known as BEMT, which potentially could be a safer and more effective protection against the damaging rays of the sun.

Here’s what consumers should know about the new chemical, according to Audra Stinchcomb, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

Why is it a big deal?

BEMT is the first new sunscreen active ingredient approved by the FDA since the late 1990s, and Stinchcomb credited a streamlined approval process that passed into law in 2020.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, added that BEMT has been safely used in Europe for decades, and the FDA’s action “will increase competition and consumer confidence in sunscreen products.”

The action will be final within the next seven months, freeing it for use.

Is it better or just different?

Stinchcomb said the process showed that the chemical was safe and effective, and unlike other sunscreens, very little is absorbed through the skin into the body.

And that could be key, because some studies have linked absorption of other chemicals to health concerns.

The chemical is also broad-spectrum, she said, blocking ultraviolet UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays cause cancer and prematurely age skin. UVB rays cause sunburn, which is damaging and also can lead to cancer.

Other sunscreen ingredients in the mineral category — zinc oxide or titanium dioxide — also block both UVA and UVB rays. The application on the skin can be unappealing to some consumers because they can cake on skin in a visible white layer. Another chemical ingredient in current sunscreens — avobenzone — is less stable and breaks down quickly in the sun, Stinchcomb said.

“Therefore BEMT might be a preferred USA sunscreen option, especially because of its good protection against UVA rays,” she said.

How does it work?

Stinchcomb said BEMT works similarly to most chemical sunscreens, but it’s more stable and the “larger size of the BEMT molecule makes it more likely to spend more time on the surface of the skin than absorbing through.”

Why is sunscreen so important?

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, with more than 5 million cases a year of the most common types, according to the American Cancer Society. Most are related to ultraviolet radiation and are therefore potentially preventable with proper use of a sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) of at least 30.

Stinchcomb added that sunscreen is important to prevent cancer on skin not covered by UV-protective clothing.

Any more advice?

Stinchcomb said that as soon as BEMT products are available in the United States, “that is what I will use. Until then, I choose sunscreens containing avobenzone for UVA protection or zinc oxide sunscreens.”

She said sprays are okay if you use enough to coat the skin and apply them only outdoors where you won’t breathe them in. Creams, lotions, gels and sticks are all good as long as they have UVA- and UVB-protective ingredients.