When treating patients, Yale dermatologist Kathleen Suozzi can immediately spot the ravages of excessive sun exposure.
"Almost every issue we see in skin aging is sun-related," says Suozzi, an associate professor term of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. "I am a skin cancer surgeon, but I'm also an aesthetic dermatologist, and there's a big overlap between the two. Skin appearance and skin health are closely tied."
Ultraviolet rays beaming down from the sun pose the biggest threat on both fronts, according to experts. Sunscreens, ubiquitous on pharmacy shelves these days, are meant to combat these harmful effects, but there's one caveat: You've got to use them consistently and correctly. And too many people still don't, Suozzi says.
But a powerful new chemical ingredient may offer an easier option. In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved bemotrizinol (BEMT), the first new active sunscreen ingredient cleared for use in the country since the late 1990s. Widely used in Europe and Asia for decades, BEMT offers superior UV protection and contributes to easy-to-wear and apply sunscreen formulations, experts say.
