The FDA approved its first new sunscreen ingredient in decades, but Maui County’s mineral-only sunscreen law prohibits visitors from using products containing the new chemical filter bemotrizinol.
- Maui County’s 2022 ordinance allows only mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, blocking the new FDA-approved bemotrizinol ingredient.
- The new ingredient bemotrizinol offers improved UVA protection and has been used in Europe for over 20 years before receiving U.S. approval.
- Visitors following national sunscreen advice may unknowingly bring prohibited products to Maui, Lanai, and Molokai.
- Permitted mineral sunscreens with zinc oxide still provide effective UVA protection despite blocking access to newer formulations.
- Different Hawaiian islands have varying sunscreen restrictions, with Maui County and Big Island having the strictest mineral-only rules.
Source: Beatofhawaii
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