This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
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With record temps and dry spells already hitting many Americans, it’s time to stock up on sunscreen for the summer. The only problem?
It turns out that the active ingredients in conventional sunscreen may cause a host of health problems by disrupting natural hormonal systems. It’s why doctors advise pregnant women to avoid these products and why many health-conscious consumers are looking for better options. Add to that the 2021 headlines when several major drugstore sunscreen lines were pulled from shelves due to the discovery that the products contained a carcinogen, and American consumers have plenty of reasons to be suspicious of many sunscreens on today’s market.
The good news is that the Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new active ingredient for sunscreen. Bemotrizinol is the first addition to the list of approved sun-protecting options in decades. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touted the addition as a win for the Make America Healthy Again movement, citing bemotrizinol’s use in Europe — notorious for consumer protection laws — for decades.
In fact, until now, there were only two sun-protecting agents that the FDA had enough data on to recognize as safe, with other “approved” ingredients in a gray area of consumer safety. While most sunscreens are chemical sunscreens and rely on these dubious active ingredients, the sunscreens designed as truly safe are mineral sunscreens. These more natural sunscreens rely on zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that sit on top of the skin to block the sun’s UV rays before they hit the skin’s surface, while chemical sunscreens soak into the skin to absorb UV rays.
Similar to these mineral ingredients, bemotrizinol blocks the sun’s rays from the skin’s surface, with reportedly only minimal skin absorption. The ingredient also has evidence to suggest that it’s effective at blocking both UVA and UVB rays, unlike many other sunscreens, and while UVB is the oft-cited source of skin cancer, UVA rays can also damage and age the skin and penetrate deeper than UVB rays.
Existing studies suggest that bemotrizinol is non-carcinogenic, does not cause reproductive harm, and does not irritate skin. Not to mention that Europe’s own use of the ingredient presents years of data on human use. However, it’s taken decades to get the FDA stamp of approval, largely because of government bureaucracy. Today, Europe has more than double the number of approved sunscreen active ingredients as the U.S. And even as the MAHA movement works to cut through the red tape and corruption to make way for “gold star science,” it will take longer still for the U.S. market to catch up and new sunscreens to arrive for summer.
But if you’re looking for a MAHA-approved option in the meantime, there are hundreds of mineral sunscreen options for everyday application and sport uses for all skin types and even extra-sensitive baby skin. From tinted moisturizers, lip balms, and heavy-duty beach creams, there’s a MAHA-approved sunscreen for every occasion.
Even in drugstores, many popular brands offer a mineral option. These products are clearly labeled as “mineral” based, and reading the back label should reveal zinc oxide as the active ingredient blocking both UVA and UVB rays. Because these ingredients sit on top of the skin, the result can be a cakey application, or a ghostly appearance if used on tanned or darker skin, so it can take a little trial and error to find one that applies smoothly. But even for darker-skinned individuals, being mindful of sun exposure can help prevent the appearance of aging, leading several brands to also sell tinted options that more seamlessly blend into skin.
And just like conventional chemical sunscreen, mineral sunscreen is still worthless if not applied — and reapplied — appropriately. Dermatologists recommend using at least SPF 30 once every two hours, after exiting water, or as recommended on the bottle. Applying an even layer and not skimping on coverage will create a protective barrier, especially if using an aerosolized product that can spray on unevenly.
All that said, sometimes the best prevention is simply avoidance. Sticking to the shade or wearing thin, breathable long sleeves or loose pants — alongside a stylish sunhat or a fishing hat — are easy ways to ditch the sunscreen woes poolside, on the porch, or on a summer hike.
Of course, the sun cannot be avoided at all times, and natural light is key for synthesizing vitamin D, regulating our wake-sleep cycles, and producing serotonin. But as one of my fairer-skinned family members discovered as an adult, sunburn from decades ago can cause skin cancer later in life that has to be painfully cut out. So, this year, I’m joining him in catching a few rays before heading into the shade to enjoy the summer heat from beneath the brim of a sunhat — while I wait for the latest in UV protection to hit the market.
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Jordan Jantz is the assistant editor at IW Features as well as a freelance writer, editor, and website designer.
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