The United States is widely regarded as behind the rest of the world when it comes to sunscreen — there are 16 main active ingredients, also known as filters, approved for use in the U.S., compared to about 30 in Europe.

The last time a new ingredient was added to the U.S. list was in 1999, but that could change in the near future.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Dec. 11 on TODAY that it is proposing to include bemotrizinol (BEMT), which protects against both UVA and UVB rays and is more stable than many ingredients currently available, meaning it would offer better sun protection. It would also become only the third sunscreen ingredient to be considered safe to use in children as young as 6 months, along with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

"Based on the data review

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