I’m 41, and I still shed a tear if American sunscreen gets in my eyes. It stings, smells, and no wonder American parents struggle to get their children to put it on. It doesn’t have to be this way, and people in Sydney, Athens, and Saint-Tropez have known this for 25 years. European sunscreen provides broader UVA coverage, triggers fewer allergic reactions, and irritates skin and eyes substantially less than what’s available in the United States. These ingredients were the global standard, just not in the U.S.
On June 9, the FDA approved bemotrizinol, a sunscreen ingredient Europeans have used safely since 2000. It is the first new sunscreen active ingredient the agency has cleared since the 1990s. While Americans were told to reapply and cover up, the rest of the developed world moved on. Going to the beach in America is like going to regulatory Jurassic Park.
