Patient advocate: Is a new sunscreen on the way?

By now, we are well aware of the dangers of too much sun exposure. Most skin cancers are the result of UVA rays, but there’s also sunburn, premature aging, cataracts and even suppression of the immune system.

So sunscreen is an important part of planning outdoor activities any time of the year, but especially summer when more of our skin is exposed to the sun with shorts, tank tops and bathing suits.

One problem, though, is that most people don’t use enough sunscreen and don’t reapply it often enough, dermatologists tell us. In fact, experts agree that quantity of sunscreen matters more than its SPF (sun protection filter) qualities. That means your SPF 50 sunscreen will be more like SPF 25 if you don’t use enough of it.

To make sure you’re getting enough, dermatologists recommend the teaspoon method. These are adult quantities; adjust as needed for children:

Reapplications are needed after prolonged exposure, swimming and perspiring.

The reason we have to slather on so much sunscreen is that the products we have available to us in the U.S. are less stable than those in other parts of the world. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies sunscreen as an over-the-counter drug, rather than a cosmetic, as is the case in other countries, so getting new formulations approved is an expensive and time-consuming process that a lot of companies wish to avoid.

That’s why many states don’t let children take sunscreen to school. Illinois is one of 21 states that do.

But this may be changing, and along with it the first new sunscreen formulation in more than 25 years.

In 2025, Congress actually agreed on something and passed The SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act, which is designed to modernize how the FDA reviews and approves sunscreen ingredients. It’s intended to speed up the approval process for new sunscreen ingredients that are already used safely in other countries so as to expand Americans’ access to filters that may provide better protection.

One of the aspects of the law will allow the FDA to use safety data from other sources, such as European Union regulators. The law does not eliminate sunscreen safety review or automatically approve every sunscreen ingredient. It also doesn’t appear to reclassify sunscreen as a cosmetic.

A Swiss/Netherlands company called DSM-Firmenich lobbied on behalf of the law because it wants to make its sunscreen, containing bemotrizinol, available to U.S. consumers. This ingredient is widely used in sunscreens in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world, but for many years was not approved for use in U.S. sunscreens.

DSM-Firmenich, meanwhile, has gone through the expensive and time-consuming process of obtaining FDA approval. The FDA has proposed approval of the sunscreen, and rumor has it that it may be approved this summer. Scientists and dermatologists view it as one of the more advanced sunscreen filters because it combines strong UVA protection with long-lasting stability.

The sunscreen will be sold under the brand name Parsol Shield. The company says it provides broad-spectrum protection from UVA and UVB rays and doesn’t break down as easily in sunlight as current products do. It is also considered less irritating than sunscreens on the market now.

On the downside, I think we can also expect it to cost more than our current array of sunscreens.

On the upside, the U.S. is finally stepping into the 21st century when it comes to approving new sunscreen ingredients, so presumably Parsol Shield will soon be getting competition from other companies.

How long it will take for this new sunscreen formula to reach our shelves is anyone’s guess at this point, so step up your current sunscreen regimen and slather it on, a teaspoon at a time. Make sure you reapply it frequently.

Don’t forget you can also hide under broad-brimmed hats, sit in the shade and wear lightweight shirts and pants. There’s more than one way to keep those UVA rays at bay.

• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg, R.N., a registered nurse and board-certified patient advocate, is the founder of NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com, which trains medical professionals to become successful private patient advocates. She is the author of “How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones” and “Advocating Well: Strategies for Finding Strength and Understanding in Health Care,” available at Amazon.com. Contact her at Teri@NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com to set up a free phone consultation.