The FDA has approved the sunscreen chemical bemotrizinol, a UV light filter that has been available in Europe, Asia, and Australia for more than 20 years. Health advocates and skin care industry groups alike are hopeful it can restore faith in sunscreen.

The FDA has added bemotrizinol to the over-the-counter sunscreen monograph, making it the first new active sunscreen ingredient permitted in the United States since 1999,…

Bemotrizinol blocks UVA and UVB and has been available in Europe since 1999